Homeward
by Astroavis
Summary: Shot backwards in time, Sakura finds herself in an unfamiliar land where she begins to, unwittingly, make a reputation for herself. Desperate to find her way home, she makes a deal which may change her life, and the future, forever.
1. The best laid plans

_A/N: Here begins my 60-some-odd chapter, slow burn, MadaSaku epic._

 _This story is very meaningful to me personally in more ways than one. It's my attempt to express what I think true love – healthy love – looks like. More than anything though, this is my attempt to give Sakura everything she was denied in canon. All of the respect, the admiration, the love, the devotion, the confidence, and the strength she deserves._

 _Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive of me and my writing. Your encouragement and your love mean the world to me as I open up my heart to you._

* * *

Despite Sakura's determination to kill Sasuke by herself, she still felt guilty for using the sleeping gas bomb on her companions. She felt conflicted by the fact that she had just left Sai, Lee, Kiba, and Akamaru unconscious and defenseless in the woods but she knew it would be much safer there than caught up in the fight that was about to break out.

She comforted herself with the fact that knocking her friend's unconscious had been a necessity. Killing Sasuke was a task that was for her and her alone. He was her old teammate and the man that she had once loved. She had selfishly tasked Naruto with the impossible mission of returning Sasuke home all those years ago, overcome by his bitter rejection of her and her own heartbreak. It was her duty to relieve that mission from her best friend's shoulders by bringing Sasuke's corpse home herself.

When her and her small team had headed towards the Land of Iron, intent on trying to convince Naruto to finally let Sasuke go, she had already formed a basic plan. She had thought of deceiving Naruto by telling him that she loved him and that his promise to bring Sasuke home was forfeit.

The closer and closer they got to the inn where they knew Naruto was staying, however, the more and more she felt sickened by her own plan. Lying to her best friend, a man who had known nothing but lies for his entire childhood and who trusted her implicitly, did not sit well with her.

At the last minute, Sakura found that she couldn't go through with it.

Naruto would hate her enough after she killed Sasuke. She didn't want his final memory of her as his friend to be tainted by a lie as bold as the one she had planned.

Right outside of the village in the Land of Iron where Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato were staying, Sakura had ordered her group to stop. She told them to forget about seeing Naruto and to instead seek out Sasuke immediately. When they had asked her why, she told them the truth: No matter what they said or did, Naruto would vehemently oppose their plan. He would protect Sasuke with his life, even if Sasuke would happily take Naruto's. It would be best if they simply went after Sasuke without telling him.

Despite a few token resistances from a couple of her companions, they knew she was right. They immediately retreated from the small village and it took little time for the snowy terrain to turn back to the thick forests they were used to.

It hadn't taken them long to locate Sasuke after that. Kiba and Akamaru were both adept trackers and already had Sasuke's scent memorized. She was thankful for their help coming this far, but had already decided that she would incapacitate them in order to face her challenge by herself. She couldn't bring herself to put more of the people she loved in danger. She had already lost Sasuke to his madness, she couldn't bear to lose her friends to death.

As Sakura flew through the trees, heading in the direction Kiba had stated before she had used the sleeping gas bomb to knock them all unconscious, she hardened her resolve. She would kill Sasuke. She would bring his corpse home to Naruto. She would accept Naruto's hatred of her. It was her duty, as a member of team seven and as a kunoichi of Konoha, to do this.

When she emerged from the forest and came upon the bridge where she knew she would find Sasuke, she was shocked to find him fighting the recently appointed Sixth Hokage, Danzo. She held no love for the ancient man but knew that she certainly couldn't stand by and let him die at the hands of her old teammate.

The kunoichi took a moment to rapidly scan the battlefield, first taking note of the Akatsuki member with the orange mask that she had faced once before sitting atop an overhang on the opposite side of the bridge. She spotted an unknown woman with red hair hiding behind a pillar before her attention focused on Sasuke preparing to run Danzo through with his katana. With a half second to make a decision, she slammed her fist into the bridge, sending a shockwave through the entire structure. It rocked unsteadily, her half of the bridge immediately collapsing into the river below under the strain.

Sasuke was thrown off balance just enough for the Hokage to evade his attack, leaping a safe distance away. She used the opportunity to bound over the decimated half of the bridge to stand at Danzo's side.

Sakura noticed that Sasuke appeared to be injured. Blood stained his cheek, mouth, and chin and his breathing was severely labored. Even hurt and at a distance, his mere presence was suffocating. His chakra was dark, sickening, and venomous and his killing intent was palpable enough to make her stomach clench.

Looking at him now, she recognized nothing about him. This wasn't the Sasuke she had once known. This wasn't the boy who had been her and Naruto's friend and teammate. This wasn't the boy she had fallen in love with, who had abandoned her and broken her heart. This was a man who had betrayed them all, who had joined the depraved organization the Akatsuki, and who now wanted to kill Naruto for the tailed beast inside of him.

No, this was no longer Sasuke… This was a monster.

Steeling her resolve, she turned to face Danzo. Her gaze flicked down to the man's bizarrely mutated arm, implanted with a dozen sharingan eyes, in muted horror. Most of the eyes were closed, only a handful on his forearm open. She was immediately revolted by the grotesque sight and wanted to demand how and why he had harvested so many sharingan. She held her tongue for now, knowing that that was a demand for another time.

There were far more pressing matters at hand.

"Are you injured?" the medical ninja asked briskly and with no warmth, her fists raised defensively as she stared at Sasuke's chest, avoiding his sharingan. The glare Sasuke shot at her and the absolute blood thirst behind it startled her for a moment.

Sasuke was dead. This was a monster in front of her now.

"It's nothing. What are you doing here?" Danzo demanded gruffly, his eyes also remaining on the Uchiha across the field.

"Sakura! Stay out of this if you value your life!" Sasuke roared from the opposite end of the bridge, his dark chakra rolling off of him in jagged, menacing waves.

Sakura's eyes narrowed, her gaze trained on her ex-teammates chest. He was a sharingan user, after all, and Kakashi's lessons from when they faced Itachi remained with her. She knew that Sasuke would kill her on sight even if she wasn't involving herself in his fight. She used that definite knowledge to harden her resolve even further, determined to not hold back.

She would go through with what she came here to do.

"I've come to bring Sasuke home," she explained simply, drawing an unimpressed glance from Danzo.

"You would bring home a traitor? A man who abducted the eight tailed jinchuuriki for the Akatsuki, who attacked the Five Kage Summit? A missing nin who is making an attempt on my, your Hokage's, life?" the elder man growled in response, his eyes narrowed in disgust.

"I never said that he would be breathing," she muttered darkly, not noticing the surprised look the Sixth Hokage gave her. His face turned pensive for a moment before he nodded once.

Even though she had spoken in hushed tones, Sasuke's eyes narrowed as well. He had heard her. He charged forward without another word, his dramatically increased speed surprising Sakura.

Danzo immediately leapt to the side, abandoning Sakura to expertly dodge Sasuke's strikes. Her old teammate appeared to be trying to dispose of her immediately in order to return to his battle with Danzo, but hadn't accounted for Sakura's increase in skill as well.

While his strikes with his katana were lightning fast, Sakura had spent years learning the most crucial skill for a medical ninja: evasion. She noticed he appeared to grow even more frustrated with his lack of connection, his movements becoming more unpredictable and violent as he continued.

As the Uchiha tried to use a forward thrust to skewer her, she dropped down and struck out at his exposed middle. He didn't try to dodge, probably assuming that her taijutsu was just as weak as it had been when he abandoned the village. When her fist connected, his face morphed into one of shock for a brief moment before the force of her chakra enhanced punch rocketed him across the bridge and into the pillar the red haired woman was hiding behind. With an explosion of debris, he slid to the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood as he roughly hit the stone floor of the bridge.

Sakura was already shooting forward, her steps enhanced with chakra, intent on using his stunned state to crush him into the pillar. He had underestimated her and his moment of ignorance was all she needed to take him down once and for all. Even if he may be more powerful than her, he had made the mistake of thinking she was the same weak genin she had once been.

She had to do this, she had to. This wasn't Sasuke, this was a monster. He wanted to kill Naruto. He wanted to kill everyone. There was no other choice, don't back down now. You need to do this!

 _Do it now, don't hold back!_

She was so caught up in the fight, in the thoughts screaming in her mind, that she didn't notice Danzo also closing in behind her.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open at their approach, his gaze shooting from Sakura to some space behind her. He hissed something she couldn't make out and Sakura immediately felt a blistering heat at her back.

Then everything was dark.

Sakura felt like she was floating, suspended in the senseless abyss. The sudden lack of sensation was so startling that it stole the breath from her lungs. She tried to regain it, but the muscles in her chest refused to obey her. She couldn't feel the sudden heat behind her, the ground beneath her feet, or the crisp mountain air whipping against her skin. All she could feel was a sudden screaming agony in her skull which brought her hands to her head as she gritted her teeth against it. She couldn't hear anything but her own racing heart beat pounding in her ears, her own cry of pain not even reaching her. She couldn't see anything, an oppressive, all encompacing darkness surrounding her.

There was nothing...

Then, with no warning at all, the world returned to her. Ground appeared beneath her feet, air returned to her lungs, and the sounds of battle greeted her ears in a burst so fast it felt like she had hit the water after falling a great distance.

As the world reappeared around her in a jarring burst of color and sound, she found herself in the center of a much different battle. Unknown ninja without headbands fought all around her, jutsu flaring up in bursts of chakra and weapons clashing together with the sound of ringing metal.

The agonizing pain in her head stopped like someone had flipped a switch, her hands dropping from the sides of her head as her eyes flicked across her new surroundings in shock. The kunoichi immediately leapt out of the way of two strangely dressed men charging directly at her, jumping up to perch on the top of a noticeably untarnished pillar. She knew that this pillar had just sustained a substantial amount of damage after she had launched Sasuke into it, but now it appeared to be untouched.

She took a rapid glance around the battlefield and absorbed the vast number of ninja fighting below her and the distinctly undamaged bridge she stood upon. The tree she has seen sprouting up from the bricks when she had first arrived was gone. The side of the bridge she had toppled at the beginning of the battle was rebuilt. Even the bricks she stood on appeared to be fresh and not bleached from years of being beaten by the sun.

A genjutsu then.

Sakura rapidly altered the flow of chakra in her body, sending an erratic burst throughout herself in a surefire way to release the jutsu, as she hissed, "Release."

Nothing happened.

The ninja below her continued to battle and, not just that, but a man dressed in yellow accented armor, not unlike those worn by the samurai of the Land of Iron, was bearing down on her from above, his kama raised high in the air. She reacted immediately, dodging his ameatur strike and planting a foot on his exposed shoulder when he crouched to absorb the force from his landing. Her kick shot him into the crowd below her, knocking several men in different outfits off of their feet.

A dozen men and women surrounding her now crippled assailant, some with the same yellow trimmed armor as her attacker and some with black cloaks decorated with an orange sunburst, turned to face her. Their expressions ranged from fury to shock and it appeared that the group made a singular, unspoken decision to remove the interloper before continuing with their own battle.

During the brief moment before their attack, Sakura's eyes rapidly scanned the battlefield. Who were these people? Where had Sasuke and Danzo gone? What of the Akatsuki member and that red haired woman? What happened to the bridge?

If this wasn't a genjutsu... What was happening?

Four of the shinobi, all in the yellow trimmed armor, leapt up towards her, clearing the still ongoing battle beneath them in a single bound. The shinobi in cloaks remained behind, some weaving hand signs while others ran around the battle to try to flank her.

Sakura's eye narrowed as her attention returned to the battle she had been thrust into.

' _Well, if it's a fight they want then it's a fight they'll get!_ '

When one of her attackers landed, swinging a unwieldy bludgeon at her, she caught the blow. She had a millisecond to absorb his baffled expression before she pivoted her feet, swinging him around her and throwing him into two of the still airborne shinobi. With a crunch of metal and a couple alarmed screams, they all shot off the edge of the bridge and plummeted down into the river below.

The screams drew the attention of the rest of the combatants and their attention was drawn up just in time to witness Sakura leaping off of the pillar to meet her final attacker in the air. She parried a blow from her staff before landing a kick which also rocketed her broken corpse far off the edge of the bridge.

When the kunoichi landed on the pillar opposite the one she had just leapt from, she turned to see a now dramatically increased number of opponents rushing in after her.

The battle she faced from then on was highly reminiscent of the one she had with Sasori's puppets. She weaved between her attackers, all whom were relying on taijutsu as they couldn't risk using jutsu which may harm their companions. She expertly dodged any blow meant for her and filled any remaining space with strikes of her own. The sound of crunching metal and bone and yells of rage and agony filled the air around her as she plowed through the oncoming horde with a grace she distantly believed her mentor would be proud of.

Sakura focused on that thought instead of the sticky sensation of gore coating her hands and the sickening scent of freshly spilled blood and viscera.

Some of the people she struck shot outwards into the pillars lining the bridge, destroying the brick structures and raining debris upon her foes. The strangers tried to dodge the rubble, some getting crushed beneath the heavy stone, and provided Sakura with an opening. She leapt out of the rapidly thinning fray and onto one of the broken pillars, quickly surveying her opponents.

"Leave now if you value your lives!" the kunoichi roared from atop her perch, her calculating eyes wild with the thrill of the fight.

The unknown shinobi were cautious to approach her now, both sides of the conflict she found herself in struggling to find her weakness. She took advantage of their cautiousness to heft a boulder-sized hunk of rubble over her head and pitch it into the heart of the bridge with all her chakra fueled might. The brick walkway immediately collapsed beneath her assault, the center of the bridge falling out and taking with it a number of her foes. Many others leapt away from the carnage, perching on the railing of the bridge on either side of her.

The pillar Sakura stood on, broken as it was, stayed strong beneath her feet. Her remaining attackers, a fraction of what she had first faced, eyed her blood splattered form warily.

One of them, a man in a elaborate set of brightly colored armor who she assumed was the leader of the group of armored shinobi, began to weave hand signs. Sakura kicked one of the jagged shards of stone jutting up from her broken pillar. The stone snapped off without any resistance and rocketed towards her attacker, launching him into the people behind him and tossing them off of the bridge with alarmed screams.

She whipped around, facing the people of the opposite side of the railing, and waited. None tried to approach her, their expressions torn as they observed her. It was when one of them stepped backwards, putting distance between them, that the others readily welcomed the idea and dispersed.

Sakura watched as her remaining foes turned tail and fled, adrenaline and victory coursing through her blood. Her success felt that much more satisfying when she realized she didn't have a scratch on her. It was elation, however,that quickly faded when she surveyed her once again decimated surroundings with compounding confusion.

What was happening?

* * *

 _A/N: A kama is a sickle. It can be used for farming to harvest crops but it is also used as a weapon in martial arts. The weapon attached to Madara's gunbai is a large kama with a notably longer handle._


	2. Alone

_A/N: The first half of this chapter is dedicated to rehashing the battle between Kakashi and Sasuke and then Naruto and Sasuke (with some alterations due to Sakura's sudden disappearance). A bit tedious but luckily the only instance of it in this story._

* * *

Kakashi rushed through the trees, intent on finding Sakura before she faced Sasuke. Sai's ink clone, which the dark haired man had used to alert Kakashi of her intent to kill Sasuke by herself, had long since disappeared with a burst of black ink and a warning to hurry.

The jonin emerged from the forest to the sight of a completely decimated bridge. He recognized Sakura's handiwork immediately with half of the bridge already collapsed. A massive, perfectly concentric hole enveloped the opposite side of the bridge as well, as if some kind of an explosion had destroyed a flawless sphere of brick.

Kakashi immediately noticed Sasuke at the other end of the bridge, standing over the prone form of a red-haired woman.

"Sasuke!" he yelled out across the field in fury, already leaping over the chasm.

Sasuke barely acknowledged him, simply looking over his shoulder to watch as Kakashi landed on his side of the bridge.

"What do you want?" he demanded coldly, his eyes narrowing in warning as the copy ninja took a menacing step forward.

"Where is Sakura?"

"She's gone," Sasuke replied, slowly turning to face his old sensei.

Rage immediately flooded Kakashi's body. His old student had fallen so much farther than he had thought if he had truly killed Sakura.

"You killed your own teammate?!" he roared, refusing to allow the panic at losing another comrade overwhelm him. He latched onto his anger like a lifeline, his fists already raising.

"She is no teammate of mine. But I didn't kill her nonetheless," the Uchiha responded simply.

"Then where is she? What have you done?"

"I've done nothing to her, despite her intruding on my battle. She disappeared during the fight."

"Your battle? What happened here?"

Sasuke smirked in response. "A battle of vengeance."

Sasuke was on him immediately, his chidori sparking to life in his palm without another word. He lurched forward, rushing towards Kakashi. The silver haired jonin parried his blow before planting a foot into his chest and knocking him backwards.

Sasuke laughed darkly, his eyes lighting up with madness. "Sakura hits much harder than you now."

Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he dropped into a more offensive stance, preparing to end this years-long struggle once and for all. "As the leader of team seven, I will settle this once and for all!"

"Stop acting like you're my sensei."

Even as they traded blows, Kakashi's forearms stinging as he blocked Sasuke's strikes, his mind raced. He needed to end this battle, he needed to find Sakura, and he needed to protect Naruto. He needed to keep the people he cared about safe.

Even as his thoughts whirled in his mind and even as he faced Sasuke's bloodlust for the first time, he couldn't help but remember the young man he had once trained.

The Uchiha before him was far from that young boy now. Punches that once came from fists so small they stung more than hurt were now being delivered by the fists of a man. Blows that once could be brushed off now had to be carefully blocked or parried. Chakra that was once smooth and controlled was now violent and erratic.

When had Sasuke changed so much?

The pair shot apart after their brief confrontation, Kakashi scowling beneath his mask.

"Tell me where Sakura is, Sasuke!" he demanded as the pair shot apart after their brief confrontation, Kakashi scowling beneath his mask.

"Forget about her!" Sasuke roared, rushing forward once again, "You're facing me now!"

Sasuke pressed chakra into the tattoos on his wrists, summoning a barrage of shuriken. Kakashi dodged them easily, vaulting off the edge of the bridge and towards the water below. Sasuke followed him and they traded a few blows midair before Kakashi kicked his former student and launched himself a distance away. They both gracefully landed on the water's surface.

"For someone whose sharingan is borrowed, you're quite skilled in using it. However, can your sharingan do this? I will show you that my sharingan is a completely different class than yours!" the Uchiha declared before his sharingan morphed into the mangekyou.

A great purple skeleton cloaked in purple chakra, the Susanoo, coalesced around Sasuke with a howl. Bands of muscle fibers emerged from the joints of the skeleton, overlaying on top of one another as it formed another layer of protection around the costruct. A simple suit of armor formed and cocooned the Susanoo, it's transformation completing with the production of a bow and arrow made of wildly fluctuating chakra.

More quickly than Kakashi had time to dodge, Sasuke used his Susanoo to unleash an arrow comprised of chakra from it's massive bow. With just enough time to activate his mangekyou as well, Kakashi was able to use it's signature technique to send the chakra arrow into the other dimension.

Water from the river under his feet erupted around him from the sheer speed of the arrow, raining frigid water down upon him. He stared forward, maintaining a direct line of sight on his wild-eyed opponent, as he marvelled at the easy devastation of the Susanoo.

Amazed as he was, he didn't have time to deal with this if Sakura was in danger.

"To think that someone who isn't an Uchiha could awaken the mangekyou. So it seems that eye's power saved you. You should be grateful," Sasuke declared haughtily, his mad smile somehow growing wider.

"Sasuke. You're more than just your clan. More than just hatred. Look deep inside your heart one more time," the jonin beseeched, desperately hoping that his misguided student could return to the light. That he could stop this pointless battle.

"Are you still going on about that?"

"Deep down, you know..."

Sasuke's face dropped and silence filled the battlefield for a long moment. When he spoke, it started as a whisper. "You're all laughing… They're all laughing…"

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed as he silently listened to Sasuke's maddened mumblings.

He was so much further gone that he had expected... If he attacked Sakura... perhaps even worse... Was he even capable of being saved any longer?

"You're all laughing at the cost of Itachi's life! Laughing together, completely ignorant of everything!" Sasuke screamed, the Susanoo surrounding him growing further and sprouting another layer of armor. Even his creation screamed with his master, the maddened roars of the creature making the air tremble.

"Your laughing voices sound like contempt and mocking to me now! I will change those laughs to screams and wails!

"This is bad!" Kakashi thought aloud as the wake beneath him became violent, manipulated by the malevolent chakra coursing from Sasuke's summon.

Sasuke laughed maniacally, "How's this? Can your borrowed sharingan extinguish that?! I will show you the difference between the real thing and a fake!"

His now evolved Susanoo notched another chakra arrow in it's bow before releasing it. As Kakashi prepared to use his own mangekyou once more to disappear the projectile, the world suddenly jolted to the side. He landed on the water's surface with a splash a fair distance away and looked up to see Naruto crouched before him.

Even with the relief he felt at having been saved, fear at seeing yet another one of his students on the field rose within him.

The second arrow that Sasuke had unleashed rocketed off into the distance before connecting with the side of the canyon farther down the river. The resulting explosion decimated the cliffside, raining debris down into the water below. With the damage Sakura had done to the bridge and with Sasuke having destroyed the cliff face, it would be a wonder if this river continued it's flow with the rubble blocking it's path.

"Are you alright, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, concerned, even as his eyes remained trained on Sasuke on the opposite side of the river.

Upon seeing his eternal rival, the Uchiha moved to lurch forward but was only able to take a step before his hands shot to his face. He grimaced in pain as his Susanoo fell apart, the layers of armor and flesh stripping away before it disappeared completely.

"You're not supposed to be here, Naruto. You need to leave _now_ ," Kakashi responded as he watched Sasuke stare at them, the dark haired male blinking rapidly as if to clear his vision.

"Sasuke. Kakashi is our sensei, a fellow ninja of team seven! How could you do this?!" Naruto called out, baring his teeth in rage.

" _Was_ a fellow ninja. I no longer belong," Sasuke responded, panting heavily from exertion.

Kakashi rose to his feet and walked to stand next to Naruto. He placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a hushed tone. "Now do you understand, Naruto? His intent to kill is real. Sasuke is no longer the same person as before. You need to leave this alone."

Naruto walked forward, his expression of anger being replaced with one of determination as Kakashi's hand slid off his shoulder.

"Sasuke," he called out.

"What?"

"I heard the truth about Itachi from a guy named Tobi… I don't know for sure if what he said is true or not. But it doesn't matter. What you've been doing is... understandable."

Kakashi and Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as they stared at the blond, startled by his words. While Kakashi remained calm, however, Sasuke's hands began to shake at his sides, the Uchiha masking his trembling by making a fist.

"Naruto… I told you before… you don't have any parents or siblings so you couldn't possibly understand me. So outsiders can keep their mouths shut!"

Naruto took a step forward and yelled, "I swear I'll save you from the chaos of vengeance!"

Sasuke simply smirked at his rival, madness returning to his eyes. "There's no need for that. The stage has already been set for my revenge to happen…"

Naruto and Kakashi both stared at the dark haired man in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

"Just a while ago. I finally got to take revenge on one of Itachi's enemies. I killed a high ranking elder of the hidden leaf. Someone named Danzo."

' _Sasuke killed Danzo all by himself?'_ Kakashi thought as his eyes widened, shock overwhelming him. Danzo was a hardened veteran and a formidable shinobi, powerful and respected enough to be named Hokage. And Sasuke had defeated him alone?

Did Danzo have something to do with Sakura's disappearance? What had happened here?

The silver haired jonin walked forward to stand before Naruto, putting himself between his two students.

"I've never felt like this before. I feel the tainted Uchiha name being cleansed. I feel the Uchiha getting free from this rotting ninja world. You couldn't begin to understand. And isn't what I'm doing what you leaf ninja wanted all along? You've always snubbed and put down the Uchiha. So I'll help erase the Uchiha from your memories. I'm going to kill all of you and destroy the Hidden Leaf! Severing all the bonds of the hidden leaf is the ultimate purification! And that shall lead to the true Uchiha restoration!" The Uchiha ranted, smiling wickedly as he outlined his malicious plan.

' _Hatred. The history of repeated, accumulating he may not realize it, Naruto is seeing that Sasuke is a victim of the times we live in. And that is why…'_ Kakashi thought as he glanced backwards at the blond, already hardening his resolve.

Kakashi would kill Sasuke here and now.

Naruto rapidly made the hand sign for his Shadow Clone Jutsu, a few shadow clones puffing into existence behind him. Before he could rocket forward, Kakashi threw out his arm to block his path. "This is my task. Naruto. Get out of here. Go find Sakura now."

"But Kakashi-sensei, what are you talking-" Naruto started before Kakashi cut him off.

"If you stay, you'll see things you don't want to see. I'm telling you to go."

At Kakashi's statement, Sasuke's wicked smile dropped. He silently formed a chidori in his palm and strode forward, prepared to meet his old sensei in combat once again. Kakashi formed a chidori in his own palm, his eyes narrowing at his old student.

Naruto's voice, soft with emotion, piped up from behind him. "Kakashi-sensei. This something I don't want to see… are you going to kill Sasuke?"

Kakashi didn't answer him, responding with a simple, "Go, Naruto."

The jonin took a step forward, intending to sprint towards Sasuke, but felt a set of arms latch onto him from behind, holding him back. He heard a rasengan spark into life behind him and watched as Naruto instead charged forward.

"Wait! Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, panicking, as he struggled to free himself from the clone behind him.

Panic bloomed within them as he watched Naruto and Sasuke sprint towards one another. He couldn't allow Naruto to be hurt as well. Not when he may have lost Sakura. Not when he was about to lose Sasuke. He couldn't let the people he loved die yet again...

His two students thrust their jutsu together once they met, creating a massive explosion of light, heat, and sound. He watched as the two were shot outwards, both stunned from the blast. He flipped backwards, over the head of Naruto's clone, and used it as a springboard to launch himself upwards. Catching Naruto in his arms, he landed on the surface of the water.

"Naruto. I _told_ you to go find Sakura," Kakashi scolded, staring down at his injured student.

"Now… It's all clear…" the blond whispered as his eyes cracked open.

Kakashi's eyebrows came together in confusion as he hoisted Naruto to his feet. "It's all clear? What do you mean-?" Kakashi began as he hoisted Naruto to his feet before the appearance of two unknown chakra signatures on the battlefield stole his words.

"What's going on, Sasuke? I told you to go home and rest," a man with a swirling, orange mask scolded, staring down at Sasuke. Zetsu lingered at his side, a disturbing smile stretched across his inhuman face.

' _Madara,'_ Kakashi mentally hissed, his eyes narrowing.

Madara followed Sasuke's line of sight when the Uchiha didn't respond, his exposed eye settling on Naruto and Kakashi.

"The Nine Tails, huh? It seems you cannot suppress the urge to fight when you two get together," he noted before turning back to Sasuke, "I'll arrange a proper place for you to hunt the Nine Tails. For now, we retreat."

Zetsu stepped forward menacingly, a deranged, toothy grin still stretched across his face, as more Zetsu's emerged from the water. "I'll fight in your stead. Since we need the Nail Tails jinchuriki anyways."

"Zetsu. You can't capture Naruto. The Nine Tails will be too much for a non-combat type like you. I'm going to let Sasuke get the nine-tails. It's for my enjoyment as well," Madara ordered, appearing unfazed by the Leaf ninja across the river.

Zetsu's smirk widened, despite the criticism. "Oh, is that so?"

The masked man continued. "But I'm concerned about Kisame. So go to him. And rendezvous with Black Zetsu."

"Okay, okay, I understand," the pastel white man responded, him and the other Zetsus sinking back below the surface of the water.

Before Madara and Sasuke could leave, however, Naruto took a few steps forward.

"Naruto," Kakashi warned, his panic still roiling within him, "We don't have _time_ for this."

"I just need to make sure I say something to Sasuke," Naruto replied simply, stopping after a few paces to stare at his rival. Sasuke stared back, waiting expectantly.

"Do you remember what you said to me long ago in the Final Valley? The thing about high-level shinobi clashing? Just now, we learned things from just trading blows. It means we've become high level shinobi... Were you able to read what was inside of my heart? And you saw it, didn't you? That if you and I fight… we will both die. Sasuke. If you attack the hidden leaf, I will have to fight you. Save your hatred until then. At that time, throw all of your hatred at me. The only one who can handle all of that hatred is me! Only I can fulfill that duty."

"What is it with you, Naruto? Just what the hell do you want?! Why are you so fixated on me?!" Sasuke roared back.

"Because you're my friend. Sasuke," Naruto answered simply.

Sasuke's face dropped as he stared at his rival. He said nothing, rendered speechless by Naruto's declaration.

Naruto plowed forward with his speech. "I knew from the moment we first met that it was going to take more than just ordinary means to understand you. Exchanging fists is how we understand each other. That's for sure... I'm not giving up on you yet. I'm taking you back to the hidden leaf village! That's something I'll never give up on!"

The blond smiled and scratched the back of his head, as if embarrassed by the speech he had just given, by the promises he made. "Damn it. A poor talker like me lecturing you. It's not my style. If we both end up dying… You won't be an Uchiha and I won't be the Nine Tails jinchuriki. We'll be free of all our burdens. And we'll finally be able to understand each other in the next world," Naruto finished with a smile, his fingers lacing together behind his head.

Sasuke finally spoke up. "I don't plan on changing. Nor am I interested in understanding you. And I don't plan on dying. You're the one who's going to die."

"If I die, we both die, Sasuke," Naruto responded, his smile still decorating his face.

Sasuke smirked in response before yelling out, "Fine then! I'll kill you first."

Kakashi had had enough of this. He stepped forward, setting his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Enough, Naruto. We can't waste any more time here. We'll face them again... Someday."

"Smart move," Madara chuckled as the group began to become distorted, their bodies being drawn into a transportation jutsu.

"I'll be ready any time, Sasuke," Naruto declared with a grin as he watched the group disappear.

Once their foes were gone, Kakashi was already forming the hand signs he needed to summon his pack.

"We need to go. We have to find Sakura _now_ ," he informed immediately, urgency coloring his tone. They had wasted enough time with that pointless battle. They needed to locate their missing teammate.

"Sakura? What are you talking about? She's back in Konoha..." Naruto returned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he watched Pakkun and the rest of his pack of ninja hounds appear in a burst of smoke.

"Everyone. We need to find Sakura. She left Konoha with a few others to face Sasuke but knocked them unconscious to face him herself. When I got here, she was already gone, and Sasuke said that she tried to interfere with his fight with Danzo and disappeared. I need you all to spread out and search for her, she could need our help," Kakashi ordered his pack of hounds, ignoring Naruto's assertion to instead explain the situation.

"Sounds complicated. But you got it, boss. Everyone! You all remember Sakura's scent so fan out!" Pakkun ordered without wasting a moment of their precious time, the pack of dogs immediately splitting apart and shooting off separate directions.

When Kakashi finally turned to face Naruto once again, the wide eyed blond's mouth was hanging open.

It was a few heartbeats of silence before Naruto finally blurted out, "She _what_?!"

* * *

Sakura walked along the precarious railing of the decimated bridge, making her way off of the battlefield and back into the forest. She had no idea what had happened or who those strange people were and wracked her mind for a solution. One moment she was descending on Sasuke, preparing to deliver a decisive blow to not only relieve Naruto of his burden but to protect her admittedly disliked Hokage and her village... only to be suddenly facing a small army of strangely dressed shinobi on a pristine bridge.

She glanced over her shoulder at the wreckage.

Well, perhaps not as pristine now that she was done with it...

As she walked, she attempted to release any genjutsu she might be under a couple more times, just to be on the safe side. Despite her calculations, she could come up with no other explanation other than genjutsu. She briefly wondered if Sasuke had cast one of the inescapable genjutsus that Kakashi warned her about during the battle with Itachi's clone. She quickly trashed the idea almost as quickly as it came.

If the Sasuke she had just faced had placed her under any genjutsu, there would be far more torture and far less casually strolling through the woods involved.

Perhaps someone had summoned all those people as a diversion so that that Akatsuki member, Sasuke, and the red haired woman could escape since she had been on the verge of landing a killing blow on Sasuke? But then why would the bridge suddenly be repaired?

When Sakura's gaze drifted to the patches of gray sky visible through the canopy, her confusion only amplified.

Why would it now be morning if her battle with Sasuke had been in the afternoon? Had she been knocked unconscious? Had they set up all this as an elaborate ruse? To what end? Why not just kill her? It made no sense...

Despite her confusion, the kunoichi decided that she would return to where she had left her unconscious teammates. She had failed in her mission to kill Sasuke and wasn't capable of finding him by herself, considering she wasn't a sensory type. She couldn't locate him again if she wanted to.

While she doubted that her friends would be particularly forgiving of her ploy (well, maybe Lee would be understanding at least), they still needed to regroup. And she needed to make sure they were unharmed if strange groups of aggressive shinobi were patrolling the area.

Sakura picked up her pace as concern for her friends surfaced. She traveled down the same path she had taken to get to the bridge or… at least the one she thought she had. The terrain seemed altered. The dirt path remained mostly unchanged beneath her feet, but the forest surrounding her seemed oddly different. The trees still stood tall all around her but there was an unusualness to her surroundings that she couldn't place.

She reigned in her confusion and rising anxiety as she continued onward, coming to a halt where she was sure she had left her comrades. Only there was nothing.

There were no signs of a struggle in the dirt, no ink splatters from Sai's dispelled ink snakes on the ground, no sleep power residue dusting the area, no footprints besides her own behind her, but, more importantly… No sleeping comrades.

Sakura's breathing and heart rate ramped up as she felt panic course through her veins. What was happening? Had her friends been taken during her fight? Had she allowed her comrades to be captured by those strange ninja with her regrettable decision of knocking them unconscious?

No. Her sleeping powder bomb wasn't that powerful. Powerful enough to knock them out for a while and to keep them asleep if they remained undisturbed, yes, but surely not powerful enough to allow them to be captured without a struggle. She ran over the calculations for her sleeping powder in her mind, confirming that she had mixed it properly.

Perhaps they had woken up and left to warn Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato of her plans? And cleared the area of signs of their presence? Yes, that had to be it.

It had to be.

Making her decision, Sakura returned to her run. She would go to the small town where they had first planned to stop in order to meet up with Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and Yamato. At the very least, if Kiba, Akamaru, Lee, and Sai weren't there, she could admit her mistake to Kakashi-sensei and they could go searching for them.

The forest quickly turned back into the snowy terrain of the Land of Iron. Sakura's footsteps crunched in the freshly fallen snow, her toes tingling with the cold. She ignored the sensation and continued onward even faster, her confusion amplifying her rising panic.

The kunoichi watched as the trees became more and more sparse and as the snowfall came down more rapidly. The cold bit through her cloak, chilling her skin. She saw the hill that she would have to ascend to reach the town and felt her anxiety ebb. Kakashi-sensei and Yamato would know what to do.

She cleared the hill, a smile of relief tugging at the corners of her lips, before she once again faced nothing.

Atop the hill, there was nothing but an unending plane of snow, dotted with the occasional tree. Her smile dropped and her mouth fell open in shock as she came to a dead stop.

Where was the town?

Her panic returned tenfold as her eyes ran over the barren landscape. Her heart rate ramped up to a near dizzying level as her emerald eyes settled on the nothingness surrounding her.

Sakura walked forward on shaky feet, hoping to breach the concealing genjutsu that must have been placed around the town. She got a hundred paces into the field before she realized that there really was nothing around her. Not even any ruins signifying that the town she was searching for had been destroyed.

She spun in a shaky circle, her eyes trained on the sky, hoping to find some signs of life in the distance. Only, she found nothing. No smoke signifying a chimney or stove, no buildings in the distance, not even any birds in flight.

Sakura closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. There had to be a rational explanation for this. Perhaps some of the ninja she fought had razed the town she was looking for to the ground and the snow hid any traces or it's destruction? Or perhaps, most probably, she hadn't truly known where the town was in the first place? They had opted to avoid it after all. Maybe her coordinates had just been wrong.

Out of options and unsure of where she could go to find her teammates, she decided she would return to Konoha. Running around aimlessly in a foreign country was a sure-fire way to find trouble. Not to mention a waste of time if her friends were in danger.

She had to report the appearance of the unknown shinobi and the los-er- _misplacement_ of her squad to… someone. While she had no idea where Danzo, her current Hokage was, and knew Lady Tsunade would more than likely still be in a coma, there was someone along the chain of command she could report the information to.

However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Very, very wrong. She tried to control her rising fear, her confusion feeding it like wind into a fire jutsu, but found that it remained under the surface, clouding her thoughts.

Sakura took off at a dead sprint, intending on returning to her home as quickly as possible. As she ran and as she drifted into the trance so familiar to a shinobi during these long treks, her panic continued to claw at her mind. As the snowy terrain turned into woodlands, then into savannah, and then into the thick forests of Fire country, the sense that something was incredibly wrong remained.

It took only a few hours, her speed that much more enhanced by her chakra-assisted sprint, to reach the familiar Land of Fire. Mostly familiar… She found herself getting lost in her own home country, something that fueled her fear even further.

She had spent the entirety of her life in this land! She knew it's landscape like the back of her hand! Yet, she found herself getting turned around in far denser than normal forest, getting confused by unknown landmarks, and running circles around strange rivers.

Convincing herself that it was her distress influencing her senses and getting her turned around, Sakura continued onward. When she reached a familiar and unforgettable river that she knew lead to the base of the Hokage Monument, she breathed an immediate sigh of relief. There was no way she could get lost following this river and it was only a matter of time until she got home and would be able to put this debacle behind her… After a harsh scolding from her superiors.

She cringed at the thought as she ran along the water's side, taking the direct route home.

After finding the river, it took little time until the mountain she knew had the Hokage's faces carved into the other side appeared before her. She once again let loose a relieved sigh, her pace quickening as she approached the foot of the mountain. She slowed as she circumvented the arduous climb up the mountain, her chakra getting uncomfortably low despite her flawless control. She had pushed herself far too hard that day, but knew that she had to if she was to ensure her friend's safety.

Sakura repeatedly, mentally berated herself for making the retrospectively horrible decision of knocking her friend's unconscious to face Sasuke alone. She beat herself up for also not verifying that she knew where that stupid town was. But no matter. The village would be coming into view any second now, and she would get the help she needed to fix her mistake.

She rounded the bend that she knew would reveal the high walls of her village only to, once again, find nothing. The walls, built to withstand even the strongest jutsu, hadn't been destroyed during Pain's attack, only damaged.

But… Where was the wall?

Her breathing was labored and her heart beat a frantic rhythm in her chest as she ran forward, past where she knew the wall should stand. Panic enveloped her once again as she rushed through the trees and was met with nothing but more and more forest.

Sakura used her chakra to scale up one of the massive pines, reaching the top in record time. She balanced on the top-most branch and looked out. Nothing but more forest, brimming with trees untouched for a millenia, laid before her.

The sight that met her eyes told her that her village hadn't been destroyed, as she briefly thought it had been… again. No. It was as if…

It was as if it had never existed in the first place.

Sakura leaned against the wispy crown of the tree, the breath being stolen from her lungs at the sight of her non-existent village. She hadn't gotten lost, she knew this was where Konoha was supposed to be. She could recognize the mountain that bordered the village, even without the Hokage's faces carved into it.

She closed her eyes tightly as she altered the flow of chakra in her body, desperate to break the genjutsu, as she frantically yelled in slowly increasing volume, "Release, release, release, release, release!"

When Sakura cracked open her eyes, the same untouched forest stood before her, mocking her. She heavily sat down on the branch she was balanced on, the tree swaying dangerously at her shifting weight. She held on with chakra even as her heartbeat fluttered dangerously in her chest, her breathing becoming too rapid. She felt herself begin to become light headed and mentally slapped herself.

' _Calm down! You need to calm down. Deep breaths… If this isn't a genjutsu… If this isn't some kind of sick trick… Then this is real…'_

Her eyes snapped open to return to the forest before her as she forcefully corrected her breathing. She certainly couldn't pass out at the peak of a hundred foot tree. She stared out at the now quickly setting sun as her frantic thoughts coalesced into one, the only, logical conclusion: she was in the past.

Sakura swayed dangerously at the thought and suddenly realized that she needed to rest. Her chakra levels were dangerously low after pushing herself all day. She took stock of her remaining chakra supply and, as she finally extended her awareness inwards, became instantly aware of a terrifying fact…

The chakra she had spent the last three years accumulating in the seal on her forehead was completely gone.

Her breath caught in her chest, her heart clenching painfully. Her seal, the chakra she had spent years saving, had disappeared. Stolen from her body and leaving her all the more vulnerable in the past. All the energy she had carelessly expended fighting those strange ninja and rushing to return to her non-existent village seemed all the more precious.

She had been so caught up in her fight and then so caught up in her fear that she had failed to notice how the trickle of chakra she always redirected into her seal was now draining into an empty void instead of an overflowing ocean.

Sakura hadn't felt this exposed since she was a genin. She finally realized how incredibly precarious her situation had become, trapped in the past with no allies, and now no chakra, to speak of. Even as fear reared its ugly head in her heart, so did her need for answers. She forced herself to focus on her confusion and her questions to draw attention away from her nearly absent chakra levels and the panic that came from the vulnerability.

One question stood out to her the most and that was the one she focused on as she made her way to the forest floor and out of the open: Why would all of her stored chakra be gone?

As she descended from the tree, her mind stuck on that fact. Why would her seal be drained? What could have possibly stolen all that chakra, a supply so incredibly vast that it could dwarf even Naruto's near limitless supply?

She thought back on the battle with Sasuke, right before she had appeared in the center of that small army. She had been shooting forward, attempting to land a punch that would finally put an end to his path into darkness. He had looked at her… No, he had looked behind her. And the heat… She had felt a burning heat before the world turned to darkness.

Had that Akatsuki member or Danzo used some kind of space-time ninjutsu on her? To save Sasuke? To save themselves? Had she been the target of it? Or had she been drawn into it?

Had it latched onto her, or rather her vast supply of chakra? Perhaps it had grown more powerful, feeding off of the chakra in her seal? That Akatsuki member had shown that he was capable of some unknown space-time jutsu when she had faced him alongside her friends all those months ago. Had he been the one to send her backwards in time? But what of Danzo and his horribly mutated arm implanted with numerous sharingan? She had learned how mysterious the sharingan could be, how many secret powers it contained. Was Danzo to blame instead?

Sakura's thoughts continued at lightning speeds as she reached the forest floor. Even in her exhausted state, her brilliant mind worked to solve the problem she had been presented with.

Sakura was aware of very few space-time ninjutsu and knew even less about their implementation. She knew that transference jutsus and summoning jutsus, ones she was incredibly familiar with, were technically classified as ones. But the strength of the one she had been caught in was astounding. She had never seen, or even heard, of such power…

Either way, there were more important matters at hand. She was precariously low on chakra and, even with her flawless control, she needed to recover. If she was forced into another fight like the one she had been thrown into earlier, she was concerned as to how she would fare.

She desperately needed to rest and recover.

As Sakura set out to search for a safe place to sleep for the night, she ran her fingers through her sweat-soaked bangs. Her fingertips brushed cold metal and she stopped in her tracks.

Her headband…

If she truly was in the past, if Konoha hadn't even been created yet, her headband would draw unnecessary questions. She needed to find out where, or rather when, she was, so she would need to set out eventually to find her answers. But for now…

Sakura pulled her headband from her hair, the strip of cloth and metal feeling heavier than it ever had. She brushed her blood stained thumb over the leaf insignia, smearing dirt as it went. The symbol stared up at her, the dirty metal reflecting the misery in her eyes.

She felt overwhelmed tears build up in her eyes but blinked them away. Before she could think on it too long, she jammed her headband in the pack on her hip.

She needed to find somewhere safe to rest before she could even think about giving in to her misery and crying. She was no longer the weak, scared little girl she once was. She was a woman, a ninja of Konoha, and the apprentice of the most powerful kunoichi in the world. She would not lose sight of her goals, she would not give into her sorrow when her life was still very much in danger.

Tears could be saved for later. For now, she needed safety.

Sakura trudged onward, her eyes scanning over her terrain, before she located a partially uprooted tree, the massive oak's roots creating a perfect hiding spot for her for the night.

The forest was rapidly growing too dark to see and the air was beginning to become cold. She made her decision and stepped into the cave-like opening underneath the roots. Inside, it was tall enough for her to stand in, albeit while crouching, and wide enough for two people at most. It reeked of wet soil and rotting wood, but at that moment, Sakura was just happy to have found a suitable place to sleep.

She used the rapidly fading light to set up a tripwire, rigged to a kunai trap. Just enough to wake her should some predator, human or animal, get too close.

Now too dark to see, and with her not wanting to risk lighting a fire, Sakura pulled up her hood and wrapped herself up tightly in her cloak. She laid down on the ground in her hideaway, sinking into the loamy soil, and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow… Tomorrow she would find out when she was and how to get home. For now, she needed to rest and regain what chakra she could.

Overwhelmed with the events of her debacle of a day and the thought that she may very well be trapped in the past, completely alone, she finally allowed herself to cry. She shuddered under the force of her sorrow but refused to make a sound to reveal her location in the eerily quiet and suddenly frighteningly unfamiliar forest.

It took far too long to finally succumb to sleep.


	3. Lost

When Sakura awoke that morning, it was with a start. She sat up quickly, startled by her surroundings in her sleep-muddled state. It took only a moment for her memories from the day before to resurface and, when they did, a deep frown pulled at her lips.

What was the standard operating procedures for when someone found themselves in the past anyways? There certainly weren't any books or manuals detailing what one should do if they find themselves tossed backwards in time. At least not that she knew of.

She sighed deeply, stretching as much as she could in her tiny hideaway to work out the kinks in her joints. She rubbed at her face, scrubbing at the tear trails from the night before which had cut streaks across her dirty face.

Taking stock of her chakra levels, she was satisfied to find that they were at full capacity once again. She still felt a deep sense of mourning at the theft of the chakra she had spend years storing in her Strength of a Hundred Seal. It felt like a vital piece of her had been ripped out of her arms and the loss still stung. Even though she worked to replenish her seal by funneling in what chakra she could spare, a task that had become so familiar to her that she did so unconsciously, she couldn't shake the sense of feeling empty.

She had once had the chakra of an army stored in her forehead but she was once again left with nothing.

The second thing she noticed, when her stomach groaned loudly, was that she was famished. She realized belatedly that the only thing she had eaten in the past two days was a roasted fish during a break during the run with her squad into the Land of Iron.

Sakura pulled open her cloak enough to unhook the pack from her hip. She set the pack in her lap and opened up the flap before taking stock of the supplies she had: a handful of food pills, a half empty canteen, a storage scroll containing the majority of her medical supplies and a few other necessities, a spool of wire, a piece of flint, and her headband. She reminded herself that her few kunai remained in the trap she had set earlier as she ate one of the food pills with a few careful sips of water.

She tucked her headband more securely in the bottom of her pack before securing it to her hip once more. She disarmed the trap she had set before exiting the makeshift cave in the roots of the fallen tree.

First things first, she thought as she brushed the dirt off of her white cloak, she needed to get back to the river to refill her canteen, wash off, and catch a fish to eat. There was only so much that food pills could do.

Afterwards, she would begin her trek to the nearest town to find out what year it was. She was bound to come across one if she followed the river far enough. Towns always popped up around water sources.

With her chakra fully recharged and after a halfway restful sleep, it took little time to return to the river she had followed to find where her village would one day be built. The surplus of trees made the task even more simple, considering it was far less arduous to run through the trees than on flat ground.

When Sakura reached the river, she made quick work of refilling her canteen only to drink it all and refill it once more. After refilling her canteen a second time, she scrubbed the blood and dirt off of her hands. The combination had hardened into an ink-like shell which stained her hands a filthy brown that she struggled to remove.

Once finally finished scrubbing the stains off of her hands, she removed a kunai from the holster on her thigh and perched on the edge of the river, her sharp eyes searching for fish in the water. She quickly caught sight of one and threw her kunai with flawless accuracy, skewering the decent sized trout easily. She waded into the water to fetch it before taking it to the bank and putting it out of its misery.

After gutting the animal, she left to gather some leaf litter and dry branches from the ground around the tree line. Using her flint and a kunai to create sparks, she was easily able to start a small fire using the dry leaves and sticks she had collected.

Sakura skewered the gutted fish on a stick and planted it in the ground next to the fire. Surveying the area around her, she decided that it was safe to finally clean herself as she waited for her meal to cook.

She set her pack and the holster for her kunai down next to the fire, unwinding the bandages around her thigh and setting them next to her supplies. She toed off her boots near the pile before slipping off her cloak and rapidly scrubbing it in the water. She wringed it out and tossed it over a branch of a flimsy tree which grew next to the river before going through the same process with her shirt, her shorts, her medic apron, and her arm guards.

Instead of baring herself to the world, she elected to wade into the chilly water to clean herself as well as her undergarments. She scrubbed at her bloodied, dirty skin with her bare hands before sinking below the surface of the water to scrub at her gritty hair. Once finished, she emerged from the water and wrapped herself in his still damp cloak to preserve some of her modesty. There may not be anyone around now, but the last thing she wanted was for her first interaction with someone from the past to be with her half naked.

Sitting next to the fire, Sakura was happy to discover that her fish was cooked. She removed the meat from the fire and blew on it to cool it down before taking a bite. While she normally wasn't a fan of roasted fish, she could hardly be picky with her first meal in days.

As she made quick work of the fish, feeling her cloak dry on her back in the warm sunlight, she heard something. She paused in her eating to listen more closely and, miraculously, picked up the sounds of what she thought was voices.

Excited at the prospect of having found someone already, but cautious nonetheless, she used her canteen to put out the fire before refilling the container farther up the river than where she had bathed. As she did, the voices drifted farther away.

She dressed rapidly, throwing on her still damp clothes, slipping on her shoes, and strapping her pack to her hip, before taking off into the trees towards the sound of voices. She stayed hidden as she got closer until she was just close enough to make out the owners of the voices. She peered out from behind the trunk of a massive tree and observed the group of people walking along a dirt road.

They appeared to be a group of traveling merchants. Three men, all dressed in commoner's clothing, walked alongside an ox-drawn wagon loaded with goods. They all appeared to be related with the same deeply tanned skin and russet hair. She took note of a young boy, probably no more than six years old, perched on the edge of the cart.

They appeared to be talking about finding someone in the town they were heading to, a fact which brightened Sakura's mood considerably. So there was a town nearby.

She emerged from her hiding place in the canopy of the forest, stepping out on a tree branch above the road and facing the group of merchants.

"Excuse me," Sakura called out, giving the group a small wave.

The traders immediately jumped at the sight of the kunoichi clinging to the tree branch above them, even the haggard ox huffing in aggravation at the sudden stop. All four sets of eyes shot up to her, their expressions ranging from confusion to anger. The older men fell into odd defensive postures which communicated that they had little to no combat training.

"What do you want, ninja?!" one of the men snarled, obviously the leader of the group. He glared up at her from beneath his unruly bangs.

"I'm sorry for startling you. I'm just a bit… lost. Can you tell me about this place? Or how to get to the nearest town?" Sakura questioned softly, raising her hands in placation.

"We don't want anything to do with you, kunoichi! Leave us in peace!" the man retorted, obviously frightened and wary of her even if he masked it with anger.

"Please, I need your help. I-" _have either been shot backwards in time, have been placed under the most flawless genjutsu I've ever seen, or am going completely insane_ "-don't know where I am or where I'm going."

"Begone, woman! Stay away!"

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as she observed the group. It was obvious they were going to be no help to her…

It was then that her eyes settled on the young boy. Even from where she stood atop one of the massive tree branches, she could see the sweat beading on the young boy's forehead and how he trembled. How his breathing was labored and how he cradled his arm. He was suffering from something more than fear.

"A trade then?" Sakura asked, a bit more desperately than she liked. She swallowed, steeling herself, before continuing, "I'm a medical ninja, a healer. I can fix that boy's arm in exchange for information."

The merchants shared a wary glance between one another before their eyes settled back on Sakura.

"How do we know we can trust you? How can we know that this isn't a ploy to rob us?" the leader demanded.

"If I wanted to rob you, I could have easily done so already. I'm not looking for a fight or for your goods. I just want directions," Sakura returned, crossing her arms over her chest, "So what will it be?"

One of the traders, a man with his long brown hair tied in a ponytail, approached the leader of the group and they spoke in hushed tones for a moment. The other man had a pained expression on his face and Sakura assumed he must be the boy's father. After a long few moments, the leader of the group sighed heavily and nodded.

"Fine. You help my nephew and we'll tell you how to get to the next town," the man bitterly agreed as the group straightened up.

"It's a deal then. I'm coming down," Sakura responded with a nod before leaping down from the branch. She landed gracefully and waited a moment before approaching them slowly.

"My name is Sakura. I'm sorry for startling you earlier and I appreciate your help," she introduced with a small bow, deigning to leave out her last name.

She knew that the progenitors of the Haruno clan, her father's side of the family, had come to Konoha from Uzushiogakure following the destruction of the Village Hidden by Whirling Tides. She was unsure if her surname had a reputation during this time or not, or even if the Haruno family had been formed yet, and didn't want to take the chance of scaring off the merchants in case it did.

The group of men, as if surprised by her politeness, gave her an odd look before introducing themselves.

"Er, hello... Sakura. My name is Ichirou," the leader of the group responded hesitantly.

He gestured to the man with the ponytail and the young boy. "This is my brother Jirou and his son Ryota."

Jirou gave a small wave and a wary smile while Ryota eyed her from beneath his sweat soaked bangs.

Ichirou canted his head towards the so-far silent man in the back of the group with his long hair tied in a topknot and a hachimaki wrapped around his forehead. He nodded in greeting. "And this is my youngest brother Shirou."

Sakura nodded in return, introductions having been made. She stepped forward towards the young boy, giving him a calming smile.

"Hi, Ryota. May I see your arm?" she asked softly, holding out her hands, palms up.

Ryota eyed her warily before glancing over at his father. The elder man nodded once and the boy's eyes returned to Sakura. He slowly held out his arm to her, wincing as he did so. She gently grasped his wrist, observing the dirty, stained bandages wrapped around his forearm. Apparently it had been set and wrapped but was not healing properly.

"May I take off the bandages?" she asked, looking the young boy in the eyes. He worried his lip before nodding once.

She carefully unwrapped the bandages, slowly revealing the rainbow of bruising on his forearm and a deep gash which signified the bone had broken the skin.

"How did this happen?" the medical ninja asked, eyeing the dramatic bruising and weeping gash.

"I fell when gathering firewood…" Ryota whispered, looking away shamefully.

"That's fine. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes," she replied with a smile.

"I'm going to begin healing your wound. It may feel a little odd, but it won't hurt," Sakura explained before her hand began glowing with green chakra. All four pair of eyes locked in on her glowering hand, instantly fascinated.

She gently placed her palm on the uninjured part of his forearm and did a scan of his injury. The boy must have fallen onto something for his ulna, but not his radius, to have broken. And to have broken the skin as well, no less. She noticed a hematoma had already formed, signifying his body was already working to repair the fracture, and that they had done a superb job of setting his arm.

Sakura immediately began to soothe the pain as she continued her scan to see if any opportunistic bacteria had entered through the broken skin. She was relieved to find that while he did indeed have an infection, it was bacterial and insignificant enough to be treated by just stimulating his immune system. The older men gathered around her in a loose circle to watch, obviously still wary of her presence but smart enough to let her do her work uninterrupted.

"You know, when I was learning how to be a ninja, I hurt myself pretty bad once too," she began, hoping to distract the young boy from the odd sensation of the healing. It appeared to work, Ryota's eyes meeting hers curiously as she worked to accelerate the formation of a bony callus from the already formed hematoma in his fractured ulna.

"I was learning how to run through the trees. I did really well at first, so I got overconfident. I wound up slipping on a branch and falling right out of this thirty foot tree. I landed on my back so hard that it knocked the breath right out of my lungs," she made a wheezing sound, impersonating the sound she had made on impact. It had the desire effect, the young boy giggling softly. "I swear I laid on the ground for ten minutes afterwards, lamenting my mistake and trying to catch my breath."

Sakura smiled warmly as she worked to finish the repair of the fracture. Ryota's eyebrows came together, obviously discomforted by the odd sensation of the bones coming back together so quickly. When she finally began to work on healing the weeping gash and superficial bruising, he looked down, his expression morphing into one of amazement as he watched the injuries slowly fade to unblemished skin.

"Wow…" the young boy whispered in awe as the bruise disappeared and his flesh neatly knitted back together.

Once done, the medic sent a burst of chakra to stimulate his immune system. It would be unnecessary to filter his blood of the bacteria, similar to the way she filtered Kankuro's blood of Sasori's poison, when his immune system could easily destroy the infection with a little help.

Sakura's hand stopped glowing with chakra and she pulled away.

"Better?" she asked with a smile. Ryota grinned widely and nodded enthusiastically as he ran his fingers over the freshly healed skin. Even Shirou, still silent, walked forward to investigate Ryota's arm in wonder.

"That…" Ichirou began breathlessly, staring at his nephew's now uninjured arm with wide eyes, "Was amazing…"

Sakura smiled widely in response, having not received such a reaction to her medical ninjutsu in some time. She briefly wondered if medical ninjutsu even existed during this time. Perhaps these civilians had simply never seen it before with their obvious distrust of ninja.

Jirou, Ryota's father, bowed deeply at the waist. "I cannot thank you enough, Lady Sakura! We have been searching for a doctor for some time but couldn't find anyone who could help. You very well may have saved my son's life. Thank you!"

Sakura flushed in embarrassment at the man's supplication and his use of the "Lady" honorific.

"It was nothing, really," she countered modestly, waving her hand in an attempt to brush off the topic. Inside, she preened at the attention, but outwardly, she was just embarrassed.

Ichirou shook his head vehemently. "Never in all my years have I seen such a technique. I had never even heard of a medical ninja until you said you were one. We've… We've been desperate for help and that's the only reason we agreed to our arrangement. You truly are a blessing sent from the gods."

"I… I'm glad to help. Now, er… Our agreement? Can you tell me how to get to the next town?" Sakura asked, trying to casually change the subject.

"We'll do you one better than that. Please, allow us to take you. It may take longer than you're used to as a ninja, but we're well known in that city. They are wary of outsiders, especially ninja, but if you come with us, you'll have no problems getting inside," the eldest brother beseeched, leveling her with a look that reminded her of Lee.

"Yeah! And maybe you can tell me more about being a ninja!" Ryota finally piped up, his attention finally diverting from his miraculously healed wound at the prospect of spending more time with the unusual pink haired kunoichi.

"Yes, please allow us to guide you," Jirou agreed.

Even Shirou eyed her expectantly. Although he didn't speak, perhaps couldn't, his gaze communicated his approval.

While Sakura felt awkward spending even more time with the unusual family, Ichirou did have a point.

"I… Er. Well… okay," she agreed awkwardly, earning blinding smiles from nearly the entire group.

* * *

"Oh! So there are five different ele… El-e-men-tal chakra natures?" Ryota questioned excitedly from his spot seated on the edge of the cart, carefully sounding out the unfamiliar word he had just learned from Sakura.

"Yep! And some people can even combine two or even three to make a whole new kind. When I was younger, I met a boy who could combine his water and wind chakra natures to use ice ninjutsu," Sakura explained as she walked along side the rolling cart, smiling widely at the young boy who had been interrogating her for the past hour about everything related to ninjas.

At first, the three brothers seemed hesitant for the youngest member of their group to learn so much about the ninja way, as if merely the knowledge would somehow corrupt him. After Ryota began asking her how people could summon the elements and Sakura explained how chakra worked, however, they all began listening intently.

"Can you use ninjutsu, Lady Sakura? Oh, oh, set that tree on fire!" the young boy asked excitedly, pointing at a nearby oak.

"Please don't set anything on fire," Jirou, the boy's father, pleaded with a placating gesture.

"Heh, don't worry, I won't. And can't. I don't really know any elemental ninjutsu. I can work with water a bit for extracting poisons, but that's about it," she replied with a shrug, "Sorry, Ryota."

The young boy sagged against the bundle of goods on the cart dramatically with a loud groan.

Ryota perked up, his brow quirked in confusion. "Wait… Then how do you fight?"

"I specialize in a kind of taijutsu. If I wanted, I could rip that tree you pointed out right out of the ground with just my hands," Sakura explained with a grin. All three men eyed her warily at her declaration.

"Nuh-uh, no way!" Ryota declared, shooting up in his excitement, "Show me!"

She grinned, considering showing off her strength to the small boy when she heard the distinct sound of a kunai whistling through the air.

Her eyes shot to the source and she had just enough time to launch a kunai of her own to deflect the projectile, protecting Ichirou. She launched herself forward, placing herself between the threat and the merchants, as Ichirou stumbled backwards in surprise.

"Show yourself!" Sakura yelled into the forest, already accumulating chakra in her hands in preparation for the battle.

"Hehe. Never would have thought a pretty pink haired girl like you would be a halfway decent ninja," a deep voice chuckled before a man stepped out onto the tree branch before them, revealing himself.

The dark haired man before them reminded Sakura of an Inuzuka in the way he held himself. Cocky, vicious, and wild. His untamed hair shot off in all different directions and his tanned skin betrayed years of work in the sun. His chest was bare, decorated with a large tattoo of a shuriken, and he wore black pants tucked into a pair of shinobi sandals. Strapped across his back with a thick piece of rope was a massive fuma shuriken.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the man who had just tried to kill her new friend and guide. Based on his tattoo and the giant shuriken strapped to his back, he was of the Fuma clan. While she struggled with what implications this battle could have in regards to the future, she couldn't abandon these innocent people.

"Everybody, stay close," Sakura muttered to the group behind her. The three brothers immediately came together to form a defensive circle around Ryota.

"What, no greeting? You're not going to ask what I want?" the man asked with a feral grin.

"I know what you want. But you're going to have to go through me to get it!" she roared in response, assuming this man had his eyes set on whatever these merchants were hauling.

The stranger barked out a laugh before leveling her with a derogatory stare. "What, you think you're tough just because you deflected a kunai, pretty girl? I'll show you!"

He shot out of the tree, descending upon her, at the same time a fuma shuriken erupted from the forest at her side. The massive projectile easily clipped the thick branches of the trees, barreling down upon her.

Multiple opponents then.

Sakura simply ducked, the shuriken flying over her and trimming a few longer hairs from the top of her head, before she flooded her feet with chakra. She launched herself at the oncoming shinobi with a speed he hadn't been expecting by the surprised look on his face. She reared back to deliver a punch midair and the ignorant stranger simply raised his hands to block.

She smirked as she landed a punch in the center of his crossed forearms, her fist breaking the bones in both of his arms before slamming into his chest and launching him backwards into the forest. She felt his sternum fracture under her strike as blood spewed from his mouth and knew from experience that he would be out of the fight, if he even survived.

The moment she landed on her feet, she jolted back towards the group of merchants huddled around their youngest family member. She scanned the forest, searching for her next opponent, and caught sight of another Fuma shuriken flying out of the trees.

The path of this projectile had both her and the merchants at it's heart. No dodging this one.

Sakura shot her chakra coated hand into the ground, flipping up a slab of earth to block the massive shuriken. When she heard the dull thump of it hitting the rock wall, she kicked out at the slab of stone. The hunk of rock shot across the field and into the forest towards where the weapon's owner had been.

There was a harsh rustle of leaves before another stranger, this time a middle aged woman equipt with a katana and dressed in a black kimono, erupted from the canopy. She descended upon Sakura, intending to land a blow with her sword.

The medic side stepped her strike and expertly dodged a few slices, searching for an opening. When she was presented with one, she kicked the strange woman in the chest, rocketing her back into the forest. Sakura caught sight of the same symbol of a shuriken on the back of her kimono before the woman's corpse, her chest cavity crushed, disappeared into the forest.

This time, two men emerged from the forest on either side of her, one wielding a dadao and the other a naginata. They tried to attack her at the same time, but neither could connect their weapons with the evasive medic. As they grew frustrated with their lack of success, their strikes became more erratic.

When they both swung down on her at once, exposing their middles, Sakura dove underneath their guards and struck. Her fist connected with the dadao wielder's chin, tossing him high into the air. She heard his jaw and teeth crunch under her strike and knew that he was out of the fight. She spun around rapidly to land a kick on the naginata wielder's side. He shot out, slamming into a tree hard enough to crack it vertically. He slumped over, dead, his weapon falling to the ground with the clink of wood.

She fell back into a defensive stance, waiting for her next opponent. When none presented themselves, she spun in a slow circle, taking in her surroundings. The merchants were unharmed although they stared at her with wide-eyed expressions. Jirou held his hand over Ryota's eyes even though the young boy seemed to be doing everything in his power to observe the fight.

Sakura heard the sound of footsteps on the grass and whipped around to face it. She waited for her next foe to appear but realized that the sound of footsteps was heading away and not towards her. They were fleeing then.

Smart move.

The kunoichi stood tall, abandoning her stance, and briskly walked towards her guides. She looked them up and down, finding no injuries, but still asked, "Is everybody alright?"

"That was amazing!" Ryota yelled after he finally pulled his father's hand away from his eyes.

"You just- you, you flipped that hunk of ground like it was nothing! And you _kicked_ it at that lady! And, and then you punched those guys so hard they flew away! And you're so fast!" the boy excitedly recapped, jumping up and down.

As Ryota gushed about her battle prowess, the three brothers shared a wide-eyed, slack jawed stare. Surprisingly, it was Shirou, the silent brother, who bowed first. The other two brothers quickly followed, Jirou planting a hand on his overly excited son's head and forcing him to bow as well.

"Not only have you saved my nephew's life, but you saved our lives as well. We truly are in your debt, Lady Sakura," the eldest brother, Ichirou, thanked deeply.

"How can we ever repay you?" Jirou asked, still staring at the forest floor as he bowed as deeply as he could.

"Hey, it's not a problem. I couldn't let you guys get hurt. Please stand up," Sakura beseeched, embarrassed even further by their display of supplication.

* * *

 _A/N: Ichirou means "first son", Jirou means "second son", and Shirou means "fourth son". There's a hidden implication there (psst, the third son is dead) that I won't address in the story. Ryota means "stout, strong"._ _A hachimaki is a stylized headband worn as "a symbol of perseverance, effort, and/or courage". The reason Shirou wears one is as a symbol of how he doesn't allow his muteness to define him or hold him back._

 _A Dadao is a kind of curved sword, very similar to a scimitar in that the tip of the blade is wider and heavier than the base. A naginata is a pole weapon with a blade at the tip._


	4. Reputation

_A/N: I use a number of Japanese terms in my writing simply because using them provides a more accurate explanation. In addition, some Japanese words don't really have English equivalents or at least they can't be explained in English without being wordy. I'll try to keep my use of Japanese terms to a minimum._

 _An engawa is like a wrap around porch/walkway around a traditional Japanese house. A yukata is a casual summer kimono made of light weight fabrics and an obi is a kind of sash worn with a kimono that is wrapped around the waist. Geta are traditional Japanese footwear that are a kind of sandals. Kata are a form of martial arts training where one practices a series of moves and hones these moves through repetition and by building muscle memory._

* * *

Kakashi leaned against the shaded outer wall of the temporary interrogation rooms. With Pain having destroyed the village just a few weeks prior, there had been a great many changes to Konoha. Having the interrogation building out where anyone could see, albeit disguised as any other one of Tenzo's mass manufactured buildings, was one of the odder changes.

The door swung open and shut with a soft click before Ibiki joined him in the shade.

"So, no sign of her, huh?" the scarred man asked gruffly, taking in Kakashi's bleak stare.

Kakashi nodded curtly. "Nothing. Even with my ninja hounds, Kiba, Akamaru, and Naruto entering sage mode, we couldn't find anything…"

"Well... Either way, it was a good decision, bringing back that girl. Sai was able to get her back just in time for Shizune to heal her," Ibiki replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he observed the construction crews at work a fair distance away.

"So she made it then. Good. Have you…" the copy ninja paused, searching for a word that wasn't 'torture', "Talked to her yet?"

"Yes. She's a veritable fountain of information. Started giving up secrets about Orochimaru without us even saying anything." He narrowed his eyes. "Damn recruits are too green for this job though. They fell for her waterworks far too easily."

"They'll learn. Did you get any information regarding Sakura from her?"

"Yes, but… It sounds so unusual. She claims that Danzo had an arm implanted with sharingan which would close each time he used a jutsu that would reverse his own death. She says that Sakura had been about to land a blow on Sasuke when Danzo appeared behind her, perhaps to take the killing blow for himself. Sasuke used Amaterasu to set Danzo ablaze and both Danzo and Sakura disappeared. Danzo reappeared. Sakura didn't."

Kakashi's eye settled on Ibiki. "Sharingan, huh?"

"Any ideas, Kakashi?"

"Perhaps. I thought it was just a legend, but I thought the same with the rinnegan. Could be useful information," he replied, his eye returning to some undefined space in the distance.

"Don't you think it's more likely that your student was taken hostage by the Akatsuki?" Ibiki questioned seriously.

"Sasuke certainly believed otherwise."

"And you trust the word of a traitor?"

"I don't see any reason why he would lie about it. And we met Madara on the battlefield briefly. I imagine there would have been more gloating involved if he had abducted Sakura…"

"You have a plan then?"

"Not a plan… At least not yet," the silver haired jonin pushed away from the wall, beginning his trek, "But an idea."

"Good luck, Kakashi. I'll get ahold of you if she says anything interesting," Ibiki replied, turning away to enter the interrogation rooms once again.

While Kakashi dreaded the thought of becoming Hokage, he knew that his first act as the acting leader of Konoha would be finding a way to locate his lost student. They had abandoned her far too many times in the past.

To do so again, when their help was most needed, was unacceptable.

* * *

When Sakura and the family of merchants finally arrived at the small trade city, the group easily passing by the wary civilian sentries, Ichirou had foisted a handful of money into Sakura's hands. Despite how many times she tried to turn down their offering, saying that their deal was concluded and she had gotten all that she needed from them, they were insistent on repaying her for her defending them.

She eventually accepted the funds, mostly because she realized she had no money in this time and certainly couldn't spend the entirety of her time in the past camping in the woods and eating roasted fish. Well, she could… but this was certainly preferable.

They parted with the promise of one day seeing each other again, even though Sakura felt it was a hollow declaration. She couldn't spend a minute more than necessary in this time. Even now, with the few things she had done, she was concerned about the impact her actions would have on the future.

As she strolled through the town, intent on finding an inn before going out and trying to gather information on when exactly she was, she began to notice the odd stares she received from everyone she passed. At first, she attributed the stares to her unusually colored hair, that usually being the culprit during her timeline. But, after observing the dated clothes everyone wore, she realized that she must have looked like a freakishly dressed lunatic.

Every man and woman she saw wore a yukata, some other form of traditional wear, or work clothes. She stuck out like a sore thumb and sticking out was the worst thing to be when someone wanted to slyly gather information.

Suddenly even more grateful for the wad of funds in her pouch, she made a sharp right turn into the nearest tailors.

A middle aged woman, her platinum blonde hair tied up in an intricate bun secured with a single pin, tending the counter gave her the same odd stare as everyone else.

"Good afternoon, my dear. What, er… Interesting clothes you have," the shopkeeper greeted with a forced smile.

Sakura could feel a tick developing in her eyebrow at the stranger's roundabout insult but withheld her anger. If she wanted a good deal, the last thing she wanted to do was upset the person who set the prices. She plastered on her best fake smile as she strode up to the counter

"Thank you. They're quite trendy where I come from but I find myself in need of something more fashionable for the area. I noticed the lovely fabrics on the dresses on display in your windows and knew this place was run by a woman who would have exactly what I need," she greeted in a saccharine tone that hurt to even speak in, trying to butter up the blonde before her.

Her tactic appeared to have worked flawlessly because the middle aged shop keeper's smile lit up her face immediately.

"Then you're obviously a woman with splendid taste. Come with me, my dear. I'll find you the perfect outfit," she crowed in response, taking Sakura by the hand and leading her into the back of the shop.

* * *

The medic left the store with a paper bag filled with more subtle clothes and feeling thoroughly violated. The shop keeper apparently had no sense for other people's personal space as she had been on Sakura with measuring tape before she could even take her cloak off fully.

Either way, she had left the shop with a couple of outfits more fitting of the area, some more pairs of undergarments (thank the gods), and a lot less missing from her funds than she had anticipated. The surprisingly kind shop keeper, at least after she had gotten past her initial judgement of the kunoichi, had even given her a set of geta for free.

While she enjoyed dressing in yukatas during the festivals in Konoha, she wasn't sure how to feel about dressing in such impractical clothes for the rest of the unforeseeable future. They had no pockets! She would have to maneuver all of her gear into the folds of her clothes and her obi, a task she wasn't looking forward to.

Sakura made a beeline for the nearest inn, knowing that more than likely the entire town had spread word of the strangely dressed visitor. As she pulled open the sliding door, she was greeted with the same odd looks she had received earlier from the innkeeper sitting at the front desk.

She paid the proprietor enough for a three day stay, just enough time to find some information on when she was and possibly some lead on how to return home. While she lamented the cost, she knew it was a necessary sacrifice. Taking the key from the gentleman still eyeing her warily, she made her way to her rented room.

After locking the door behind her and taking a quick look around the minimalist room, she dumped her purchases and her pouch on the low table in the center of the room. She sorted her supplies on the low table, taking a drink from her half full canteen as she did. She set out one of the yukatas she had bought before standing.

Now was the time to take a proper shower before going out to find something to eat and gather information. After all, people talked freely in restaurants. Two birds, one stone.

Unfurling her storage scroll, she withdrew a bar of soap (yeah, who's laughing now, Naruto?), her hairbrush, and toothbrush before entering the small bathroom connected to her room. She was disappointed to find that this inn lacked an bathtub and instead just had a tiny sunken shower that appeared to be fed with a glorified garden hose. She immediately felt a sharp longing for her shower at home and prayed that this place at least had hot water.

She found her wishes were in vain when she turned the knobs to the shower and was met with an irregular stream of frigid water. At least they had towels...

Sakura went to work cleaning her old clothes first, using the bar of soap to scrub the dirt and filth off of them far more thoroughly than she had at the river. She watched as the water going down the drain morphed from a murky brown to clear, the stains on her old outfit slowly washing away. She draped her wet clothes over a rack on the wall before taking a deep breath to gather her wits and hopping into the freezing stream herself.

She took quite possibly the fastest and most productive shower of her life, her teeth chattering loudly as she did so. The damn river was warmer than this…

When she emerged, she immediately wrapped herself up in two towels, one for her hair which kept dripping droplets of frigid water down her back, and one for her body. She scrubbed at her teeth and then her hair before emerging from the bathroom in a state somewhere between clean and miserable.

Sakura rapidly dressed in her new clothes, praying to the gods that this thrice damned town at least had hot food. She sealed away all of her non-essential items, including her headband, in her storage scroll and slipped it into her obi. She tucked a couple kunai into the belt as well, concealing them easily in the thick cloth. Finally, she tucked her now meager funds into her pouch which she concealed with her obi.

She carried her sandals out of her room and put them on at the door before beginning her search.

* * *

Sakura located a tempura stand with little trouble, grateful for the decrease in odd stares. While she felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb in her pastel green yukata, she received little more than curious glances now, more than likely due to her unusually colored hair. Even the patrons already at the stand didn't bother to give her a second glance, something she was grateful for.

She ordered a meal for herself and ate in careful bites, casually listening in on the conversations of the people mulling about around her.

"The crops are coming in nice this year. Should get a hefty price for them next time I come through."

"Oh, look at Ayumi. Does she really think that that yukata and that obi go together?"

"Arata is growing to be a fine young man. How is his woodworking training going?"

' _Useless_ ,' she thought with a inward huff as she neared the end of her meal. She considered buying another plate just to extend her time eavesdropping when a quiet voice piped up from across the stand.

"Did you hear? The Uchiha and the Senju are at it again. There was a bloodbath in Biei a week ago. That Demon Uchiha set the whole damn forest ablaze. The fires are still burning even now," a bald man whispered to his dark haired friend.

"Biei? Damnit, I have friends there… When will these clans cease their endless warfare?" another man muttered back miserably.

Sakura tuned out immediately and paid for her now finished meal with a shaky hand. She couldn't believe her luck and her misfortune. She cursed as well as praised her studies. She knew of the battle of Biei, one of the more gruesome battles in the Warring States Period, waged between the two most powerful clans at the time: the Uchiha and the Senju.

As she headed back towards her room at the inn, observing the setting sun with unseeing eyes, she became aware of the gravity of her situation.

Sakura hadn't just been shot backwards in time. She had traveled nearly a hundred years into the past.

* * *

Sakura spent four days in the small trading town, gathering more information and trying to make some plan to return home.

On the second day, in between rumors she overheard while mapping the small city and a couple of awkward questions from curious townsfolk, she had gleaned another valuable piece of information and one which had her feeling incredibly conflicted: She had, apparently, amassed quite a reputation already for the part she played in the conflict she had appeared in when she first found herself in the past.

The battle that she had been thrusted into was a melee being waged between two prominent clans at the time: the Taiyo clan and the Hogosha clan.

The two families had been involved in their own personal feud for decades and the battle Sakura had found herself in was supposed to be the battle to decide who would be the victor once and for all. They had amassed every fighter from both sides and had met on that bridge, intending to put an end to their grudge match for good.

And Sakura had destroyed both sides of the conflict and demolished the bridge itself in less than fifteen minutes. She wanted to slam her head into a wall as punishment for her stupidity.

She argued with herself that she had no idea that she had been in the past when she had been thrown into the fight. And those men had attacked her first anyways, so what was she supposed to do? It wasn't like she had recognized their clan crests either, so they weren't well known in her timeline anyways... Maybe they would have annihilated themselves anyways so her influence didn't matter?

Or maybe she had single-handedly destroyed a clan, or even two, from some other village that she simply wasn't aware of. The thought that she may have dramatically altered the timeline made her want to vomit from anxiety.

How was she supposed to navigate in the past when she could dramatically alter the future with every person she interacted with? What if that fish she caught was endangered during this time and was now extinct in the future? What if she had stepped on a bug while traveling through the forest and now the Aburame clan didn't exist? What if the few members of the Fuma clan she had killed while defending the merchant brothers would prevent the formation of Konoha?

The uncertainty and the endless possibilities made Sakura feel sick to her stomach and she spent the entirety of the second day in the town locked in her room at the inn, hoping to the gods that her mere existence in that space wasn't changing the future.

On the morning of the third day, she had woken up with the determination to be far more cautious. She would avoid the major clans as much as she could and she would try to avoid battles as much as possible. The last thing she wanted was for her presence in this time to alter her future too much before she returned.

The next day was spent gathering information on the layout of the land. She needed to get to a larger city in order to try to find some books or scrolls on space-time ninjutsu. While she seriously doubted she would find a scroll for a "Return to Your Own Timeline Jutsu" floating around in a civilian bookstore, she held out hope for at least some form of knowledge about the subject.

After all, finding a solution to a problem was first done by amassing information.

* * *

On the fourth day, Sakura ran into a serious problem…

She was broke.

She had five hundred ryo to her name after spending her last thousand on breakfast. Not even enough to afford a bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's.

As she fretted over what she could do to survive during this timeline, listing off ideas in her head as she savored her meal, she heard a man clear his throat behind her.

"Excuse me? Sakura, is it?" a deep voice asked.

She turned in her seat to face an startlingly tall man with slicked back, jet black hair and deep umber skin. He wore clothes crafted with fine cloths and she could tell by looking at him that he was very well off.

"Uh… Yes. That's me," she greeted lamely, caught off guard by being approached by a stranger after her seclusion.

"I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Atsushi. I'm a friend of Ichirou's," he greeted with a small bow before continuing in a more nervous tone, "He told me of how you defended him and his family from an ambush and even healed his nephew. I was hoping that I could perhaps pay you to guard my caravan as well? We will be setting out for the city of Kiso soon."

"I, um… I'm not so sure about that..." Sakura started, her mind returning to her promise of not interfering with the timeline. She was already listing off ways that she could turn him down when he spoke again.

"My family and I are in the business of mining and trading rare metals and I would be able to give you a fair wage for your services," he rapidly explained, sensing Sakura's trepidation, "You're obviously a skilled ninja and one of the few who bothers helping us civilians... Would forty thousand ryo suffice for your help?"

' _Forty thousand ryo?!_ ' she screamed in her mind, already doing the calculations. She would be able to afford a week, if not more, at an inn and three meals every day with that kind of money!

The kunoichi immediately thought of refusing his offer, once again thinking of her vow to avoid altering the timeline. But, with the amount of money this stranger was offering, she could afford to actually stay in the next city to gather information instead of roughing it in the woods. Not just that, but Kiso was a large trading city that she had been planning on heading for anyways.

The medic scowled as she thought of the pitiful five hundred ryo tucked in her obi and how nice it would be to be able to afford a proper bed and meals during her stay in Kiso.

Sensing her inner conflict and misinterpreting her scowl, Atsushi nervously spoke again, "I apologize if my offer wasn't appropriate for a woman of your standing. Would fifty thousand ryo be better?"

Sakura's eyes shot to the man before her with a surprised expression. Fifty thousand ryo now? Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, starting to wonder how likely it was that his caravan would be attacked.

"That's a lot of money coming from a person in this town. Are you expecting trouble?" she asked warily, eyeing the man's fine clothing.

"We do business trading precious metals such as gold and silver. We're always expecting trouble," he answered and Sakura could sense that he was being honest.

"...And Kiso, you say?"

Atsushi's face brightened up considerably, a hesitant smile gracing his lips, "Yes, ma'am."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully, glancing back at her unfinished breakfast.

"You're in luck then. I happen to be heading that way myself. Let me finish my meal and I will join you to act as a guard for your caravan."

* * *

A young ebony haired man pushed open the sliding door leading into the sprawling home he shared with his brother. He found that the house was empty and quiet and assumed he would find his sibling training outside. His assumption was correct and he located the wild haired man practicing his kata drills in the garden bordered on all sides by their home.

"Madara," he greeted as he stepped out onto the engawa and perched on the edge of the overhang.

"Ah, Izuna. You've returned," the elder brother returned, glancing over his shoulder before returning to his precise kata, "How was the trip?"

"Well enough. No attempts at ambushes on the way back this time. However, I heard an interesting rumor while we were in town," Izuna returned, a small smile building as he recalled the fascinating rumor he had overheard.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Madara asked, finishing up his kata before standing to his full height and giving Izuna his undivided attention.

"The merchants have been talking about a strange woman who appeared in the middle of a battle between the Taiyo and Hogosha clans on Samurai Bridge. She annihilated both forces and destroyed the bridge before the survivors fled."

"Why would some random woman get involved in a conflict between two clans? And she destroyed that entire bridge?" he questioned curiously as he walked passed their koi pond and joined his brother, sitting down next to him on the engawa.

They had both seen that bridge and were well aware of it's craftsmanship. It would have taken a boss summons just to dent it and the thought that one solitary woman could accomplish such a feat while simultaneously battling against two of the more powerful clans in the country was near unbelievable.

"I didn't hear. But that's not even the most interesting part…" Izuna replied, pausing for effect and earning a dry stare from his sibling, "They say she destroyed it with her fists."

"Her…" he paused, giving his younger brother a disbelieving stare, his eyebrows perched high on his forehead, "Fists? And no one knows anything else about her?"

"Just that she has pink hair and the strength to topple that bridge," the younger man replied with a shrug.

"Hm. Good information to have, nonetheless, even if it is simply a rumor. We may find ourselves facing her in combat if she finds herself interested in involving herself in melees between clans."

"I'm curious as to where she came from. I've never met anyone with pink hair before. Or any woman strong enough to take on two fronts during a conflict… Or destroy a bridge like that with her bare hands…"

"I would find it difficult to believe that anyone had until now, brother."

* * *

 _A/N: Madara is 21 and Izuna is 20. Sakura is 17._

 _I base ryo off of yen. 100 yen is about $1, 1,000 yen is $10, and so on. So, 50,000 ryo (how much Sakura is about to be paid for her guarding this caravan) would be about $500._

 _Ayumi means "pace, stroll, walk". Arata means "fresh". Taiyo means "sun". They are the clan Sakura faced who wore cloaks depicting a sunburst. Hogosha means "guardian" (kinda). They are the fighters who wore the armor. Atsushi, the name of the next merchant, means "industrious". The Fuma clan actually exists in the canon Naruto universe. Also, Biei, the village that was attacked and that Sakura used to determine when she was, is actually a travel destination in Japan. Same with Kiso._


	5. Underestimated

Shortly after the debacle at the Five Kage Summit, just as Kakashi had been about to be named the Sixth (or Seventh, depending on how one looked at it) Hokage, Tsunade finally recovered from her coma. Kakashi couldn't remember a time he'd been more relieved than when Gai had burst into the meeting with the Daimyo and declared that Tsunade had woken up. Kakashi had skirted that brush with 'death' by a hair and had never wanted to hug Gai more than at that very moment.

When Kakashi first visited the now awakened Tsunade, she had been shoveling down food at a rate that would have the Akamichi's challenging her to maintain their title of champion eaters. While she appeared to be busy, he had news that she needed to hear immediately. Not just about the summit, but about her… _their_ very own student.

The Copy Ninja got the news about the summit over with quickly, saving the problem of their missing student for last lest Tsunade ignore all other issues pertaining to the newly started war in her anger.

"Lady Tsunade. I have… additional news as well. It's about Sakura," he began cautiously, tensing as Tsunade stopped eating and as her sharp, weighted gaze fell onto him.

"What happened?" the Slug Sannin demanded immediately, only her eyes betraying her concern.

"Sakura went to take on Sasuke alone right after the summit. When I got there to stop her and to take on the burden myself… she was gone. Sasuke says she disappeared during the battle and a captive we have named Karin, one of Sasuke's old associates, backs up his story. She says that Danzo had implanted sharingan in his arm which would close every time he seemingly reversed his own death. I believe that it is the Izanagi, a legendary jutsu that only sharingan wielders can use… and that Sakura was somehow caught in it."

Tsunade stared at him for a long moment, her intense gaze boring into him as her face slowly morphed into one of rage.

"That sneaky _bastard_! Stealing sharingan from Uchiha corpses for his own gain and now dragging my student into his depravity! Where is he?!"

"He's dead. Killed by Sasuke."

Tsunade scowled deeply in response, glaring down at the numerous empty bowls of food surrounding her.

"And his corpse?" she hissed, her rage still palpable.

"Gone. We suspect Madara stole it."

Tsunade let loose a breath between her bared teeth. "And there was no sign on her nearby?"

"Kiba, Naruto, Lee, my ninja hounds, and I all searched for her. Even in sage mode, Naruto couldn't find a trace of her anywhere…" Kakashi answered, his gaze falling to the ground as his disappointment in himself at being unable to save his student, another one of his precious people, surfaced once again.

Tsunade was silent for a long moment, her expression warring between the rage she clung to and sadness at her beloved pupil being somehow taken from them.

"You and Shikamaru are to form a team to find her and return her home immediately. I don't care what you have to do or what you need. Get it done!"

* * *

Sakura wasn't surprised to find that the caravan she would be guarding was substantially larger than the one led by the merchant brothers. Instead of one cart pulled by a gruff old ox, she faced four carts all led by two oxs each. The carts were heavily weighed down by goods concealed by tawny tarps.

The crew of men who greeted her had widely ranging reactions to her presence, from confused looks to horrified stares. She couldn't blame them. She was certain that Atsushi had told them of a skilled warrior who he would try to hire to guard their group and here they were, faced by a five and almost a half foot tall, pink-haired woman wearing a pastel green yukata. They probably thought their leader had lost his mind.

Either way, Sakura was expecting trouble. She hardly looked like the battle-hardened ninja she was and knew that any bandits would think nothing of her presence. They would all learn soon enough when the combat started.

The kunoichi just hoped these men knew how to duck and cover because she wasn't sure how easily she could protect nine people all fleeing for their lives.

The introductions were brief and respectful, but Sakura knew there was no way she could remember the names of all eight people. They set off immediately, four of the workers acting as drivers to spur on the oxs.

She sat atop the goods loaded up in the third cart from the front, extending her awareness as she waited for any immediate ambushes. She suspected that an attack wouldn't come until they neared the next city, considering such a massive supply of rare metals as this would be a pain to cart such a distance, but remained vigilent.

Sakura watched as four of the workers, all armed with various weapons, spoke briefly with Atsushi before laying in the back of a couple of the carts. They all immediately nodded off, falling into a deep sleep with trained skill. She noted their positions briefly before returning to her vigil.

It wasn't long before Atsushi himself approached her, the gigantic man still coming eye to eye with Sakura perched on the cart.

"Thank you for agreeing to act as our guard. The three day trek will be much safer with you accompanying us," he thanked sincerely with a kind smile.

' _Three days of traveling like this?'_ Sakura lamented internally, keeping her features schooled. She simply nodded in response, knowing that she needed the funds. Even if this damn trip would take less than a day if she could simply travel the ninja way…

"Of course. It's my pleasure," she replied smoothly.

"I thought that I'd explain how we normally make this trip. Aki, Hideo, Keiji, and Hiroki are our drivers. They guide and tend to the oxs when we stop. Aki is also a wonderful cook, so that makes the trips far nicer," Atsushi explained, drawing a indifferent grunt from the driver, possibly Aki, guiding the cart Sakura sat upon.

"And Hisao, Shigeo, Dai, and Michio, the ones already asleep, are our regular guards. They usually take shifts guarding the carts during the day and at night. For this trip, they'll all take the night watch so you can get some sleep as well. We used to have six, but… Two of our friends were killed during an attack on our last trip…"

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can promise you no one will lose their lives with me around," Sakura promised with a determined gaze, drawing a smile from Atsushi.

"I… Thank you. With how Ichirou and his family spoke of you, I have no doubt," the giant of a man replied sincerely.

* * *

After participating in the most one-sided discussion of her life with the driver of her cart, Sakura's full attention returned to the passing landscape. She watched as the towering oaks passed by painfully slow and soon found herself lost to boredom.

Deciding that this would be the perfect opportunity to focus on replenishing more of the chakra in her seal, Sakura took it upon herself to meditate. The seal on her forehead was still in dire need of attention, her near constant funneling of chakra over the past week having only brought her to a negligible fraction of what she once had.

Her meditation, during which she focused on more efficiently gathering chakra into her Strength of a Hundred seal, lasted for three hours before two of the guards sleeping in one of the carts woke up. They had a quiet conversation among themselves for a few minutes before one spoke loud enough for her to hear.

"What the hell was Atsushi thinking? This girl looks more like a housewife than a ninja! And she hasn't even moved since we fell asleep hours ago. What is she even doing, sleeping during her shift?"

Sakura's eyes snapped open and her gaze settled on the man who had spoken. He seemed surprised by her sudden attention, as if he hadn't even expected her to hear, but maintained his stare bravely.

"Since you're so curious…" she began, holding back her rage at being so severely underestimated, "I'm gathering chakra for the upcoming battle. Meditation makes the process easier and more efficient."

"The upcoming battle? What, do you know something we don't?" the other guard hissed, narrowing his eyes at her dangerously.

Sakura's gaze flicked to him, her own eyes narrowing in a challenge. "A three day trek with four carts filled with goods? It's only a matter of time until someone attacks. Although I suspect they won't come until the last leg of the trip, they'll descend soon enough. Don't worry though."

The kunoichi smiled briefly as her eyes slid shut once again, dismissing the disrespectful men. "I'm good at what I do."

For the rest of the trip until night descended, the conversation around her was hushed and no one addressed her again.

* * *

Once the sun drew close to the horizon, the caravan pulled off to the side of the dirt road and let the oxs rest and eat their fill of grass. The drivers filled wooden buckets with jugs stored in the back of one of the carts and provided the beasts of burden with water to drink.

As the group worked to start a fire and one of the drivers began preparing a meal of stew, they took turns venturing out a short ways to relieve themselves.

Sakura withdrew her storage scroll for her obi and pulled out the materials she'd need to set up traps. She went around their small camp, running wire through the trees and rigging traps for any unwanted intruders. Most were simple traps which would make enough noise to alert the group as she refused to spare her few kunai for something so trivial.

She removed a bedroll from her storage scroll and found a place to sleep a short distance away from the group. She was provided a bowl of stew by Atsushi, the only person who seemed to be willing to interact with her, and she thanked him for his kindness.

The four guards took up positions around the camp, wary of Sakura's tripwires, as the rest of their group went to their bedrolls. Sakura herself soon succumbed to sleep, drifting off into a restful slumber.

* * *

The next day was spent in much the same way as the first. The driver was just as quiet and gruff as before, the guards quickly fell asleep in the backs of the carts, and Sakura spent the day more effectively replenishing the chakra in her seal.

It wasn't until the third and final day that they had company.

Despite not being a sensory type, Sakura spent her entire life growing up in the forest. When the wildlife around them suddenly became silent, she was already up on her feet in preparation for the upcoming fight.

"It's you!" a dark haired woman yelled from the canopy of trees, revealing herself to the group as she stepped out onto one of the branches.

Sakura immediately recognized the symbol of a shuriken decorating the stranger's shirt. Another member of the Fuma clan.

Not good...

"You're the bitch that killed my brother!" she declared furiously, her hand already reaching behind her to grasp the fuma shuriken strapped to her back, "You'll pay for that with your life!"

"Everyone, get down!" Sakura commanded before gathering chakra into her feet. She hoped that this jump wouldn't destroy the cart beneath her but knew that it was a risk she was willing to take to prevent this woman from letting loose her massive shuriken on the group.

She shot forward at the woman, surprising her with her sudden burst of speed. Sakura was just able to land a kick on the Fuma's leg which threw off the trajectory of her throw. Instead of her projectile launching towards the group Sakura was protecting, it shot off into the trees, clipping branches as it went.

The woman screamed as Sakura's chakra-enhanced kick shattered her femur, dropping out of the tree like a sack of stones. The pink haired kunoichi grabbed onto the branch the Fuma had been standing on with her hands, redirecting herself so she fell with her opponent. As she fell, intending on landing a finishing blow to take her out of the battle, the sound of another shinobi's shuriken cutting through the air met her ears.

Turning her head to the side, Sakura caught sight of another one of the massive projectiles flying directly at her. Someone had decided to take advantage of her fall to try to land a hit.

Sakura timed her strike perfectly, knowing there was no room for errors. Just as the massive shuriken got within her reach, she slammed her fist into the edge of the whirling blade. Grateful she was able to hit one of the blades of the shuriken, the massive weapon shot downwards with the strength behind her hit. It skewered her target, the woman who had fallen from the tree and landed flat on her back, the weapon piercing the dark haired woman's chest and embedding in the ground beneath her. She let loose a gurling yell as Sakura gracefully landed on the ground next to her, the pink haired kunoichi leaping back to the group and abandoning her fatally injured foe.

While Atsushi, the drivers, and most of the guards had taken cover behind the carts, one of the guards (incidentally the one who had spoken poorly of her just a couple days previous), ran off towards where the second shuriken had come from. He sprinted into the forest with a battle cry, threateningly drawing his katana.

"No, wait!" Sakura called out, already running towards him, intending to bring him back to the group by force if she had to.

The guard disappeared into the tree line and, before she could follow after him, two more Fuma clan shinobi dropped down from the trees above her, swords bearing down on her. She rolled out of the way of their strikes, shooting her legs back to kick the both of them. She clipped one of the ninja in the side, the man spinning rapidly a couple times before falling to the ground, while the other ninja, a kunoichi, dodged her.

The medic shot back to her feet with enough time to sidestep another slash from the now furious kunoichi. Her foe continued to strike out at her, corralling her away from her partner who clutched his side and coughed blood onto the ground.

As she continued to dodge the rapid slashes from her opponent, she heard the pained yell of the guard who had ran off deeper in the trees.

"Enough!" Sakura roared as she planted her foot in the ground, the earth trembling as fissures spiderwebbed across the ground.

The woman who was attacking her lost her balance on the dramatically shifting earth and Sakura used the opportunity to jolt forward and slam her fist through her chest. The enemy kunoichi was thrown backwards into a tree but didn't make a sound as she hit, her body instead slumping to the side.

Sakura leapt over to where the injured shinobi attempted to stand, raising her leg high into the air as she did. She ignored how the skirts of her yukata parted, focused entirely on her opponent, as she descended upon him with her master's signature technique: the Heavenly Foot of Pain.

When Sakura's chakra fueled axe kick landed on the shoulder of the struggling Fuma, her blow violently forced him into the ground. The earth below her foot cratered under the force of her blow, the enemy spewing a mouthful of blood before collapsing at the base of the hole.

Sakura immediately shot off into the forest where she had heard the pained scream of the guard and came upon him lying in a growing pool of blood. Another Fuma shinobi towered over him, his ninjato raised to deliver the final blow.

Sakura withdrew a kunai from the obi of her yukata before tossing it at the Fuma ninja. The man blocked her kunai, the projectile falling uselessly to the ground, but gave Sakura just enough time to close the distance between them.

When he swung his sword at her, Sakura slid underneath his strike and kicked him in the stomach with a chakra-fueled strike. He flew off into the forest in a wide arc before landing a fair distance away, unmoving.

Sakura turned to the injured guard on the ground near her, already in medic mode as she assessed the severity of his wounds. The man had a few superficial scratches on his face and arms, but the most concerning injury was his profusely bleeding stomach which he clutched in agony.

"It's alright, you're going to be alright," she comforted as she dropped down to her knees next to him, the puddle of blood around him staining the skirt of her yukata. She glanced around the battlefield, searching for more attackers, but found none.

"Damn… I guess I underestimated you…" the guard wheezed, his eyes half-closed as he blearily watched as Sakura's hands began to glow green.

"Yeah, I'd say you did," Sakura returned as she placed her hands on the uninjured part of his chest, already pushing healing chakra into the wound.

"I gotta say though… I'm underestimating you again here, woman…" he chuckled before coughing up a mouthful of blood onto the grass at his side.

"I thought you would have learned the last time. I told you: I'm good at what I do," she scolded as she began mending the torn blood vessels and putting a stop to the bleeding.

"Sakura?! Is everything alright?" Atsushi called out from the other side of the trees before bursting out of the brush and into their small clearing. His eyes immediately settled on the injured guard in horror before he too came forward to kneel beside him.

"Dai, my friend! You are… I…" he started, struggling for words as he grasped the guard's hand, tears building in his eyes.

"Everything will be fine. His wound looks worse than it is," Sakura comforted, touched by how much this giant of a man cared for his companions.

Apparently Dai was far less touched by his friend's concern, his face curling into a grimace. "Sweet gods, Atsushi. Stop crying over me, you giant baby."

"I cannot!" Atsushi wailed, a tear freely slipping down his dark cheek, "This has been an incredibly troubling day, especially after losing our friends on our last venture. I worry for you."

"Ugh, your housewife looking she-warrior says she has this under control, so get it together!" Dai scolded with a glare, apparently already feeling the pain lessening under the medic's ministrations. Sakura felt a tick develop in her eyebrow at his description of her.

"I told you not to doubt me," she reminded as she continued forward with her healing, now working on rapidly knitting together his perforated kidney.

The two continued to bicker among themselves as she finished healing Dai. After piecing together his tattered kidney, she reconnected the flesh and muscle surrounding it. Finally, she worked at removing any foreign bacteria which may have been introduced to his system following his injury.

Once finished, her hands ceased glowing and she pulled away. "How are you feeling? Any lingering pain?"

Dai, brushing off the concerned Atsushi, looked to Sakura with a surprised expression. He stared down at his stomach, reaching down to pull apart his torn shirt to look at where his wound should have been. His expression transformed into one of wonder as he lifted his shirt entirely to look at his now uninjured stomach.

"No, I'm… Fine…" he muttered in response, running his fingers over the still bloody, but now uninjured, flesh of his stomach.

Sakura smiled widely, satisfied with her work, before standing. Both Atsushi and Dai's gazes settled upon her, their eyes wide with shock and amazement.

"Is anyone else injured?" she asked, turning towards where she knew the rest of the group lingered.

"No, but… Lady Sakura…" Atsushi replied, a smile erupting across his face, "That was incredible!"

* * *

The rest of their journey was spent sharing more words than had been spoken over the last two days.

All the guards gathered around her in a loose circle on the back of one of the carts, excitedly asking her question after question about her strength, her training, and her 'magical healing powers'. After hearing the tale of how she saved Dai's life twice, once from the enemy ninja and then again by healing his life-threatening wound, this group took to calling her Lady Sakura as well (a fact which discomforted her as much as it had when the merchant brothers had taken to calling her such).

Even the gruff driver and cook got involved, uttering a couple words.

By the time they finally reached the city of Kiso, the group was torn about having the separate from her. The drivers gave her a polite farewell before taking their oxs to the nearby stables to rest, the beasts of burden huffing as if to utter their own goodyes. Dai and the rest of the guards shook her hand firmly, finally granting her their respect.

But Atsushi, the emotional giant he was, had struggled internally for a few moments before lurching forward to scoop Sakura up like a child. He lifted her nearly two feet off the ground without the slightest hint of a struggle and gave her a proper hug, nearly crushing her in his bulky arms. Never in her life had the kunoichi felt smaller than at that moment, being embraced by a man who towered at nearly seven feet tall.

When he had set her down, sniffling in a way that told her he was fighting dramatic tears, he distracted himself from his emotions by digging into his pockets and distributing his payment to her. When Sakura counted the money and found it was ten thousand more than they had agreed upon, Atsushi had simply laughed, telling her that she had gone above and beyond and that the extra was a tip for her excellent service.

Saying goodbye to her new friends had been just as bitter-sweet as separating from the merchant brothers had been. They left with the promise of seeing each other again one day and Sakura still felt like she was lying when she agreed.

She entered the massive trading city in search of an inn to stay at for the night, a bit overwhelmed by the size of the new trade city after spending nearly a week in the tiny town before.

After a few horrified stares and gasps from various townsfolk, Sakura glanced down at her blood-stained yukata and decided that she should probably look into finding an onsen and another clothing shop as well.

* * *

 _A/N: A ninjato is basically a short sword, smaller than a katana but shaped in a similar fashion. An onsen is a bath house._


	6. The Pride

Sakura located a nearby inn and entered the traditionally (perhaps not so traditional during this time) built establishment. She slid the door shut behind her and made eye contact with the man sitting behind the front desk.

When the innkeeper gave her the same horrified stare she had been receiving from every stranger she passed since she arrived in the city, his gaze clinging to the blood staining her hands and the skirt of her yukata, she quickly explained, "I'm a doctor."

The man sagged in relief, a smile coming to his face as he laughed, "Ah, of course. And here I was thinking you were the victim of some terrible accident."

Sakura smiled with the man and stepped forward to pay for a few nights in his inn. Over the next few days, as she mapped out the sprawling trade city, she would search for another, possibly better priced establishment. For now, considering she was covered in dried, flaking blood, she would stay there to clean up. The man handed her her key, actively avoiding touching her blood stained hands, and she found her room.

Her first order of business was to take a bath. She removed her soap and brushes from her storage scroll as she began to fill the wooden bathtub in her bathroom with hot water (thank the gods!). As she waited for her bath to fill, she used the sunken shower to clean herself, using her soaps to scrub away the dirt and blood from her skin and hair. Her shower was a far cry from the hellish, frigid ice shower from the last village and she found herself enjoying the rinse as she picked the blood from underneath her fingernails.

When she finally stepped out of the shower and submerged herself into the steaming hot bath, a shiver of bliss ran up her spine. She settled into the small tub contentedly, finally finding a moment of peace after a week of nothing but stress.

When Sakura emerged, her hair and teeth brushed and her body free of the filth of the trek, she changed into the only other clean yukata she owned, colored a shade of red that reminded her of her old clothes and paired with a white obi. She loaded up her supplies into her obi before beginning her search for new clothes and lunch.

* * *

Weighted down by the bag of new clothes in her hand and a good meal in her stomach, Sakura entered the bookstore she had heard of from the shopkeeper of the restaurant she had gone to.

She relished the smell of books and the calm atmosphere of the shop as she approached an older woman sitting at the checkout counter. The gray-haired woman peered at her from over her glasses before giving her a warm smile and setting down the book she had been reading.

"Good afternoon. How may I help you?" she asked in a kind voice, drawing a smile from the medic.

"Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm hoping that you might have some scrolls on ninjutsu?" she queried, noting how the woman's expression immediately morphed into one of confusion.

"I'm sorry for asking but are you not from around here?"

"I… No. I'm from a distant village. I just arrived in this land," Sakura replied, immediately making note of the fact that she needed to come up with a decent cover story for herself should the need arise.

The elder woman nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, that explains it then. We're a civilian city, my dear. You won't find anything like that here. That's ninja clan business."

Sakura sagged at the information, her quest to return home having just gotten that much more arduous. She had vowed to avoid the clans as much as possible, especially the larger ones which would no doubt house the information she needed.

"I see… Would you happen to have any history books available, then?"

"Of course. You'll find them in aisle three, right after the books on geography," the woman responded, her kind smile returning, "I'm sorry for the trouble, dear. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Sakura soon left the store with a book on geography (something that would be infinitely helpful as she tried to navigate her familiar yet infinitely unfamiliar homeland) and a couple books on history, one specifically detailing the uprising of the clans in the area and one that would hopefully tell her whether or not her last name had a reputation during this time.

* * *

Sakura spent a couple days buried in her texts and was relieved to find that, in the history books she read, that her family had yet to make a name for themselves in the shinobi world. She suspected the Haruno family had yet to even form, her father's ancestors instead still inhabiting the still standing Land of Whirlpools. Not having to decide upon a new last name made it much easier to come up with a believable backstory for herself.

On the second day, as she continued to recharge her seal more effectively through meditation, Sakura had a sudden and brilliant idea. The simplicity of it nearly had her slapping herself for not coming up with it sooner.

If she summoned Lady Katsuyu, the slug could give a message to Lady Tsunade in the future! Even if the Slug Sannin was in a coma during their time, her mentor could create a plan before she fell into her coma that could be enacted even while she was unconscious!

Even though Sakura was confident in her new plan, she struggled to come up with a message that wouldn't interfere with the timeline. After much thought and writing out a dozen different ideas, she decided that telling her the date that she would fall prey to the space time jutsu and the fact she had been sent to the past would suffice. Then, hopefully, she could be convinced to not leave the village in search of Sasuke. While she knew that her past (future?) self would be averse to the idea of being prevented from leaving the village, at least she wouldn't be shot backwards in time.

As much as she wanted to take advantage of her being in the past to tell Lady Tsunade of Pain's attack or of the Uchiha Massacre, she knew that she couldn't interfere with the future so drastically. She desperately wanted to be able to put a stop to the event that would damage Sasuke beyond repair, but knew that her influence could spell an even worse fate for the man she once called a friend. The man she once thought she knew. The man she once thought she loved...

Sakura settled down in the center of her rented room, giving herself enough space to summon just a small portion of the slug summons. Her hands ran through the familiar seals before she bit her thumb, drawing a droplet of blood, and placed her palm on the ground.

"Summoning jutsu!"

Instead of Lady Katsuyu puffing into existence before her, Sakura felt a bizarre tugging sensation in the back of her head. There was a moment of senseless darkness, similar to the one she experienced when she was shot backwards in time, before she became acutely aware of the fact she was falling.

The kunoichi righted herself midair immediately, orienting herself towards the ground. She looked down just in time to catch the sight of numerous, bizarre looking trees beneath her before she fell through the unusually thick canopy, getting whipped by branches and vines as she descended.

As she fell, a thick vine wrapped around her leg, jerking her to the side as she came to an abrupt stop midair. She swung ten feet above the ground for a few moments, her ankle caught in the vine, completely disoriented.

Sakura formed a chakra scalpel in her hand and cut the thick vine caught around her ankle. She righted her fall as she came loose, landing gracefully on her feet on the spongy surface of the moss covering the ground.

Standing to her full height, she took in the sights around her with a confused expression. The canopy above her was so thick that it blocked out most of the light from above. Everything was shaded and the only light source was thin streams of sunlight coming in through holes in the treetops. Even in the darkness, the various shrubs and flowers around her remained painted in bizarre, vibrant colors. Some had wicked looking thorns and fang-like projections, an intimidating sight on plant life. Bright green moss coated almost all the surfaces around her, small flowers randomly emerging from the fluorescent coating.

The air was humid and warm and beads of sweat immediately formed on the back of her neck. She could hear what she thought was birds flitting around through the trees although she had never heard such outlandish bird calls before.

Never in her life had Sakura seen such a bizarre forest.

She wracked her brain for a reason why she had suddenly appeared in this place. She was beginning to become frustrated with her being transported to random, strange places and hoped that she hadn't just been shot even farther back in time...

As her mind raced, searching for an answer, she remembered a story that Naruto had told her about his perverted, cheapskate mentor, Jiraiya: When the Sannin was a young boy, he had learned how to use the summoning jutsu and had used it before signing a contract with a summoned animal. Instead of the summoning jutsu failing, he had instead transported himself to the land of toads, the summoned animal which he aligned with. It was there that he signed the contract with the toads and eventually learned to use sage mode.

It was then that she belated realized something that immediately made her drop her face into her palm.

The contract she had signed with the slug didn't exist during the time she was in. Or at least her signature wasn't on it yet.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" Sakura muttered, berating herself for having made such a decision without thinking it through. She had been so excited at the prospect of having a solution for getting home that she hadn't even thought of whether or not the contract she had signed was still valid.

She dragged her hand down her face to stare out at the unusual jungle around her and wondered why she hadn't appeared in the Shikkotsu Forest, the land that Lady Katsuyu called home. Where was she and what summoned animal lived in this unusual place?

Almost as if on cue, a deep voice drawled from above her. "Who… are _you_?"

Sakura's gaze shot upwards towards the sound and it took a long moment for her to locate a pair of golden eyes looking down on her from high in the shaded canopy above her. She couldn't make out the being who spoke to her, their form shrouded in darkness.

"My name is Sakura. Who are you? And where am I?" she answered, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make out the individual speaking to her.

"My name is Kuro and you are in my jungle. You certainly haven't signed a contract with us. How did you get here?" the baritone voice responded with a lazy blink.

"I… I was trying to summon someone but I think the summoning contract I signed was destroyed," she lied.

The pupils of the eyes above her dilated widely in response before the being in the canopy leapt out, revealing themselves. When he landed on the ground with nary a wince after falling so far, Sakura was finally able to see who she had been speaking to.

The panther that stood before her was larger than any cat she had ever seen, aside from Nekomata, the feline Sasuke had taken a pawprint from during a mission when they were genin. The sleek black creature was longer than she was tall with large golden eyes that bored into her. His ears were pulled back against his head and his tail swished back and forth behind him in agitation. The big cat paced around her on silent feet, his wide, golden eyes never leaving Sakura's. The lean muscle he was covered with was tightly coiled in anticipation, even as he smoothly stalked her.

"You're _lying_. Tell your truth or die here, stranger," Kuro threatened calmly, pacing around Sakura dangerously.

Sakura considered her options as she spun a slow circle, not letting the feline get behind her. She could fight the panther, but knew that if she did that there would be more conflicts with the other cats that without a doubt inhabited this place. Considering how well Kuro blended into the trees, she could very well be surrounded at that moment.

She could lie again, but Kuro seemed to have a knack for picking out lies. There was a good chance that he would simply attack her should she try again.

Or she could tell the truth... While she was concerned that admitting such a thing could alter the timeline, she didn't see her having much of a choice in the matter. Or even how telling the truth to this summon could affect the future at all.

More than anything, she needed to return to the human world alive and preferably in one piece.

Sakura's decision being made, although she still felt conflicted, she explained, "I was caught in a space-time jutsu and I find myself in the past. I tried to summon Lady Katsuyu, the slug, but I believe it failed because my contract with her isn't signed in this time."

Kuro stopped in his steps, his ears flicking forward as his pupils constricted to their normal size in a way that seemed non-threatening. He sat down on the mossy ground smoothly, blinking slowly as he stared into Sakura's eyes for a long moment.

"Well, if that isn't fascinating. And how did you come into contact with such a jutsu?" he asked curiously, his threatening demeanor gone as he apparently believed her.

"I was battling someone who betrayed me and my village and protecting my leader. I think that my leader or my opponent's ally may have used the jutsu during the fight and I was either caught in it or the focus of it."

Kuro continued to watch her for a long moment, dissecting her body language and attempting to discern a lie. He soon licked his large paw before bringing it up to groom the side of his face.

"Interesting…" the panther drawled, continuing with his grooming silently for a long, tense minute.

Sakura stared at him, unsure of what to say or do. Kuro soon stood once again, stretching out his long, powerful body before slowly pacing away.

He took a dozen steps, leaving behind a confused Sakura, before calling out over his shoulder, "Come with me."

The kunoichi quickly caught up, avoiding the colorful shrubs and hanging vines, and walked along side him. After a few moments, she looked down at the sleek panther next to her and questioned, "Where are we going?"

"To visit my leader. She will want to know more about this... situation," Kumo responded simply, not faltering in his slow, relaxed pace.

Sakura nodded in response even as nervousness began to creep in. She worried about who the leader of the cats was and how she would react to her presence.

As they walked in silence, Sakura became aware of the fact she was being watched by numerous pairs of eyes high in the darkened canopy. She looked up, observing the eyes and the shadows silently leaping along the tree branches.

So she had been surrounded…

The owner of one of the pairs of eyes, smaller than the others, leapt from the tree branches to the ground. She watched as a small cat, one nearly the size and appearance of a normal housecat, tried to approach them. It's dark fur was lit up by one of the rays of sunlight and it's bright ivy eyes were wide with curiosity.

Before the cat could approach the pair, Kuro gave it a harsh glare. The cat quickly skirted back into the jungle, disappearing behind the hanging vines and joining the other eyes in the trees once again.

* * *

Kumo led her through the humid jungle expertly and silently. They traveled through secret pathways hidden behind concealing curtains of vines. They ducked under the gargantuan roots of otherworldly trees and passed through underground caverns.

They walked across a lake coated with a layer of moss and flowers which resembled lilies, something which surprised Sakura due to the saying that cats were frightened of water. With the jungle opened up around her, she was able to fully take in her mythical looking surroundings.

Sakura spied great spires of stone which towered above the giant, otherworldly trees dominating the area. She spotted and heard a rushing waterfall in the distance, water pouring out of a mountainside with incredible force. She saw flocks of bizarrely colored birds flitting along the misty sky, filling the air with their strange calls.

They soon disappeared into the darkened jungles once more, traveling along hidden paths until they reached a clearing in the jungle. In front of her stood a stone temple, the dark gray stone overgrown with vines and moss and bursting with flowers of every color. She spied the waterfall she had seen earlier feeding a lake of pristine water that surrounded the temple.

Her and Kuro leapt along stepping stones which jutted out from the clear water. Once they reached the temple itself, she was greeted by two intricately carved stone tigers with open maws and dangerous looking teeth. The walls of the temple itself were carved in an unfamiliar, sprawling text and depicted numerous carvings of felines of all kinds.

"Come along now," Kumo called out from halfway up a stone staircase after he noticed Sakura slowing down to observe the carvings around her.

Sakura nodded before bounding up the mossy stairs which led to an entrance wide enough for even Lady Katsuyu's largest form to enter easily. They walked through the opening and into the temple itself which was damp and dark but lit in much the same way as the jungle, streams of light entering through holes in the ceiling and walls.

The kunoichi would have been far more interested in the numerous paintings which decorated the walls of the temple and depicted battles between big cats and various monsters, but the entirety of her attention was drawn to the incredibly massive lioness which laid before her.

The creature was larger than even Lady Katsuyu, her graceful and tightly muscled body dominating the space in the temple. Her tail flicked idly even as her glowing golden eyes bored into Sakura. Two other incredibly massive cats, one a tiger and the other a leopard, were curled up on either side of the lioness, eyeing her warily.

"Kuro. Why do you bring a human before me?" the lionesses demanded in a velvety but authoritative voice, her eyes never leaving Sakura's.

"Lady Miyabi," Kuro began with a deep bow, "I apologize for the intrusion. While on my hunt, I witnessed this woman appear in the sky and fall into our jungle. She says that she was caught in a space-time jutsu and that she mistakenly appeared her while trying to summon another animal."

"A space-time jutsu, you say? Curious. Human. What is your name?" the lioness questioned, leaning forward to investigate Sakura more thoroughly.

Sakura bowed deeply in respect, not wanting to offend the intimidating leader of these big cats. "My name is Sakura Haruno, my lady."

"Ah, such respect. But I would expect nothing less from one attuned to exemplary animals such as ourselves," Miyabi laughed before relaxing once again, her tail flicking idly.

"Sakura. Tell me how you found yourself here and spare no detail. I will know if you lie and will strike you down should you disrespect me by doing so. Now… Tell me your tale," the lioness warned, folding her gigantic paws as she waited patiently for Sakura to begin her story.

Knowing that she would have to tell the truth if she wanted to live, and if she wanted their help to return back to the human world, she did. She told her entire story and all the details as well. She explained who she was briefly and her skills as a medical ninja. She told her about how she had been trying to kill her traitorous teammate for abandoning her village, assisting their greatest enemy, and attacking her leader. She told her how she was caught in a space time jutsu and found herself nearly a century in the past. She even told her of the two times she had worked as a guard and a healer to gain information and to earn money.

At the end of her story, when she told Miyabi of how she had tried to summon Lady Katsuyu to deliver a message to her future mentor but had wound up here instead, the lioness had chuckled.

"And you didn't stop to think if the summoning contract you had with the slug even had your name on it during this time?" the lioness teased with a fanged smile.

Sakura flushed with embarrassment and glared up at the massive cat before biting out, "I was too excited at the prospect of finding a way home. I hadn't considered it."

"And she has some fire to her as well. Hmm…" Miyabi chuckled before leaning in close once more to observe her with a glinting, golden eye as wide as Sakura was tall.

The massive lioness observed her closely for a long moment, to the point where Sakura became uncomfortable under her scrutiny, but she maintained eye contact bravely. Miyabi smirked in a way that looked like a baring of fangs before returning to her spot lounging across the stone floor.

"We will help you," the lioness stated simply before she began to groom her paw, "Kuro. Fetch the contract for me."

Sakura nearly sputtered, shocked by the lioness asking for their contract. She hadn't even asked for her assistance. She had just wanted to leave with her life.

Kuro nodded simply before padding off farther into the darkness of the temple and down a corridor far too small for any of the massive summons before her to enter.

"Are you certain, my lady? She is but a stranger who made her way here by mistake," the gigantic leopard from the other side of Miyabi finally spoke, voicing his concerns.

"Are you questioning me, Hyo?" the lioness returned in an almost sweet tone which conflicted with how Hyo suddenly bowed his massive head.

"Of course not, I would never question your decisions. I am simply concerned about this… oddly colored stranger," the leopard amended quickly, avoiding Miyabi's gaze but glancing at Sakura.

"I expect nothing less than your complete loyalty and trust. This woman may have arrived here by accident but she is attuned to us. That is why she found herself here when she tried a summoning jutsu with no contract. I will not abandon a kindred spirit to her bizarre fate," the boss summon explained, filling Sakura with hope.

"What of you, Tora? Do you have any objections or…" the lioness looked at Hyo pointedly. " _Concerns_ about my decision?"

The tiger, just as large as Lady Katsuyu, who had remained silent thus far shook it's massive head before speaking in a distinctly feminine voice. "Never, my lady. You have led us well after Raion's tyranny. I trust you with my life."

Miyabi nodded in satisfaction and, as she did, Kuro reappeared from the bowels of the temple carrying a scroll in his maw. He released the scroll on the floor between Sakura and Miyabi and used his paw to unfurl it to an open space.

"Why would you allow me to sign a contract with your family?" Sakura questioned, her confused gaze returning to the massive lioness before her.

"Were you not listening? You are attuned to us, not that slug you tried to summon. Your chakra and your soul is as ours is. That makes you a member of our pride, a part of our family. And us cats have never abandoned a member of our pride in their darkest time," Miyabi explained simply, filling Sakura with a kind of happiness she hadn't experienced before.

To be accepted so quickly into a family, a pride, when she had struggled to fit in with her old team, her own village, for so many years… It was elating.

"Go on, cub. Sign your name and leave your pawprint," Miyabi urged, "Us cats are as clever as we are powerful. We will help you return home."

Sakura pulled out a kunai from her obi and cut a gash in her palm. She guided the stream of blood down onto her index finger and signed her name in a careful script. Afterwards, she made a fist, coating her entire hand in blood. She pressed her hand onto the scroll, right next to the dusty brown handprint of an unknown person, and left behind her bloody signature.

While she felt nothing special, she noticed that the cats in the room shivered.

"Alright, all of you. You may enter and greet the newest member of our pride," the boss summons declared.

Sakura glanced around her, shocked when numerous sets of eyes opened and dozens of cats, big and small, prowled forward from the darkness to greet her.

The small dark colored cat who had tried to approach Sakura when she was first being led through the jungle by Kuro bounded forward. With the kit being lit up in the shafts of light drifting down from the roof of the temple, she noticed the feline's coat was a deep brown decorated in black spots and stripes with splashes of white on their chin and chest.

"Hi!" the young cat greeted in a girlish voice as she rubbed her face against Sakura's legs.

The young cat leapt up onto Sakura's leg, digging her claws into the medic's yukata so she could climb up onto her shoulder. Sakura winced as the feline did so, her claws digging into her flesh as she scaled up her side. When the ivy eyed kit was perched on her shoulder, she rubbed her cheek against her cheek affectionately.

"I marked you so we're friend's now! My name's Kurumi. It's nice to meet you, Sakura," Kurumi greeted enthusiastically, drawing a concerned look from the kunoichi at the mention of being marked.

"Hi, Kurumi... It's, uh, nice to meet you too," she replied with a slow smile as numerous other cats approached her curiously.

Sakura shared introductions with the many cats around her, noting that the summons ranged from housecat sized cats like Kurumi to larger cats like Kuro and then to massive summons like Tora the tigress, Hyo the leopard, and the great lioness Miyabi.

"I apologize for my earlier wariness," the massive leopard piped up after watching Sakura interact with his family, "My name is Hyo and I hope you will one day summon me to the battlefield so I may fight at your side."

"I accept your apology. It's nice to meet you to. And, while I'm not trying to get involved in any… more major battles during this time, I'm happy that I can rely on you," Sakura responded with a smile before a loud scoff caught her attention.

"Don't listen to that Hyo. If you find yourself in battle, call upon me, Tora, instead! I have fought in many battles and have grown quite skilled because of it. I can guarantee your safety as well as your victory," the gigantic tiger piped up, apparently quite vain but from experience rather than overconfidence.

Sakura smiled in response, even though she was beginning to feel embarrassed by the sudden attention from these numerous cat summons. "Thank you for your offer. Although I'm not sure how I can pick between either of you if I come across a big enough battle."

"Tora is really strong and Hyo is really fast and can jump really good!" the childish Kurumi explained from atop her shoulder, a wide smile spread across her feline face.

Before Sakura could respond, Miyabi waved her giant paw in dismissal.

"Enough greetings. I will speak with Sakura myself before we send her home. All of you: I expect you to treat her with the respect you would any other cat. Be ready for her summoning, should she require our help."

All of the cats, besides Tora, Hyo, and Kurumi, immediately turned to leave. Kuro paused for a moment next to Sakura, nodding at her approvingly. She returned his nod with a smile as the panther made his departure as well.

"Kurumi. Do as I say," Miyabi ordered, the young cat rubbing her cheek against Sakura's once more before uttering a quick farewell and joining the rest of the felines.

"Now, let us speak of your predicament. While we have no knowledge of the space-time jutsu you speak of, there are other ways in which we can assist you."

* * *

 _A/N: Kuro means "black". Miyabi means "graceful". Hyo supposedly means "leopard". Tora means "tiger". Kurumi means "walnut", because she's a mixed brown color (I imagine her looking sort of like an Egytian Mau or a Dragon Li). Raion means "lion"._

 _I'm picturing Kuro as being about the size of a normal panther, Tora and Hyo being about the size, perhaps a bit smaller, that Gamabunta, and Miyabi being even larger than Gamabunta._

 _I hinted at the backstory of the cat summons with mention of a big cat named Raion, a story which will be revealed in depth much later on._


	7. Failure

_A/N: Content warning: Graphic depiction of surgery, child death._

 _Fusuma are solid sliding panels made out of wood that function as walls or doors. Shoji are similar to fusuma but are made out of paper and wood and are designed to let in light as well as function as partitions. A futon is a traditional Japanese bed made up of a mattress and a blanket. Both are pliable enough to be folded up and stored so that the "bedroom" can serve other purposes during the day._

* * *

After being returned to the human world by Miyabi the Lioness following her surprisingly encouraging yet simultaneously discouraging journey into the land of the cat summons, Sakura decided to ease her stress with a warm meal. When she left her room with the intention of seeking out dinner, she was surprised to find that a man had been asking for her at the front desk of the inn.

The man, a simple farmer, had explained he was in need of her medical prowess, having heard of her magical skills from Dai, the guard whose life she had saved. Sakura followed the man to his simple home and healed a young girl with a compound fracture in her femur. The child had been ran over by a runaway cart and the bone had not only shattered but had punctured the skin, something that would have been a death sentence during this time. The injury had been similar to the injury that Ryota, the son and nephew of the merchant brothers, had suffered but only far more progressed and life threatening.

Thus began Sakura's work as what felt like the city healer. Wherever the kunoichi found herself, she found people begging for her assistance. Whether she was in her room at an inn, relaxing at an onsen, or eating a meal at a restaurant, people asked for her help.

Some of her patrons were rich and offered rewards which kept her money pouch heavy. Some were wealthy in the sense of their possessions and their payments were often free meals or supplies which kept her sated. The majority, however, were people that were incredibly poor but paid her in something that she considered just as valuable as money and supplies: favors.

For three long months, as the weather slowly cooled as the summer season made way for autumn, Sakura accumulated a supply of money that allowed her to stay in one of the nicer inns in the massive trade city of Kiso while simultaneously having runners and summoned cats such as Kurumi gathering rumors and information around the town.

She amassed a substantial amount of blackmail on various citizens, all of which was useless to her as she had no want to blackmail another person no matter how depraved their secrets were. She was most interested in tales of what sounded like space-time jutsu, but all of the leads she had turned up were duds.

Sakura heard a few fascinating rumors about an Uchiha who could set an entire forest ablaze with a single jutsu and a Senju who could raise an entire forest at will but didn't bother investigating them. Not only did they have nothing to do with space-time jutsu but doing such would go against the vow she had made to herself.

She would avoid the major clans as much as possible, especially the families who would one day form Konoha. While she knew that she would one day have to interact with a clan in order to find information on space-time jutsu (as jutsus were "ninja clan business"), she hoped to avoid the Uchiha and the Senju entirely. Especially if the two men she had been hearing so many rumors about lately were the men that she suspected they were.

Sakura also came up with a solid backstory for herself in case the need presented itself, merging fact and fiction in a way that sounded believable.

She took on a couple dozen jobs acting as a guard for caravans and traveling between a few of the smaller trading cities in search for more information or to follow leads. These jobs became monumentally easier with the help of Kuro the panther, a summons who Sakura quickly discovered was an incredibly poor conversationalist. The placid big cat was, however, an intimidating fighter and a courteous companion.

The kunoichi had yet to call upon any summon larger than Kuro, having found that with her and the panther working together that they had yet to face anyone she would consider a challenge.

Her reputation soon became enough to turn away even the bravest of warriors, some taking one look at her pink hair or Kuro's sleek form and fleeing with cries of "Oh gods, it's _her_! Retreat!"

Sakura would be lying if she said her growing reputation didn't feed her confidence.

Everywhere she went, her reputation as not only an indomitable kunoichi but as a miracle healer followed her. People would instantly pick her out in a crowd not just by the number of various cat summons who would trail in her wake, gathering information in the cities, but because of her conspicuous hair.

Some had taken to calling her The Angel of Kiso, a title she wished people would refrain from using. She never thought that she would plead with someone to call her by the lofty title of 'Lady Sakura' but, when people began to drop at her feet and praise her as a deity, she began to.

Sakura would always have people accosting her for her help as a healer and she had yet to lose a patient, something she was proud of. Even if her assistance could lead to an alteration in the timeline, she could not bring herself to allow another person to die or suffer when she could fix them. It went too far against her moral code to allow an innocent to die.

While some had tried to take advantage of her kindness to lure her into traps, people quickly learned how poor of a mistake that was and the ambushes became few and far between. Even without Kuro by her side, she was not a woman to be trifled with.

Despite all of her travels, Sakura always wound up back in the city of Kiso, the massive trade city that sat in the north western corner of what would one day be Fire Country. None of the smaller cities ever turned up anything useful and Kiso had traders coming and going constantly, something that made information easier to come across.

When Sakura wasn't working or studying, she spent her time training in the forest with Kuro and recharging the seal on her forehead. While the seal wasn't even close to as full as it had been in her time, it was now at a level where she could actually use it to some effect. The return of her stores brought with it a sense of comfort, the kunoichi knowing that she once again had a trump card to fall back on if the time came.

During her training sessions in the forest, she specifically focused on improving her sensory perception. She was ambushed far too often during her stints as a guard to not, the increase in her observation skills being something that could mean the difference between her (or her clients) living or dying.

Despite her determination, she was not a sensor type ninja by any stretch of the imagination. It was grueling work but, by training with the elusive and stealth-focused pather, she had honed her sensory skills immensely. Not just that but Kuro had challenged her to improve her combat skills, something that was beginning to dull after so long without proper sparring partners.

Even with her days being constantly filled, a sense of despair set in quickly. She may be surrounded by people, even surrounded by her feline companions, but she felt overwhelmingly alone. She hadn't seen or spoken to her friends in what felt like years and, despite her commitment to finding her way home, she had yet to come up with any solution to her daunting struggle.

The feeling of despair only increased when October reared it's frigid head and the first snow of the year coated the streets in white.

* * *

When October tenth, Naruto's seventeenth birthday, finally came, despite Sakura willing it away, she was overwhelmed with melancholy.

Another day alone while surrounded by people. Another day struggling to return to the time where she belonged. Another day of hopelessness clawing at her insides and reminding her that, no matter how much she had improved herself, she was still too useless to find her way home.

Sakura dragged herself to a nearby bar, walking through the now filthy brown snow and not even caring that her toes were so cold they burned. The bar was warm and her fingers and toes hurt as they defrosted, but she couldn't find it in herself to feel anything but empty.

She drank sake for the second time in her life (the first being with Lady Tsunade when she was promoted to chunin), hoping to dull the pain of being separated from everyone she loved with little hope of ever returning home. While she longed to see everyone of her time, she longed to see the man whose birth would fall on this day the most of all.

She missed Naruto like an amputee missed their severed limb. She missed her teammate like a prisoner missed the warmth of the sun. She missed her best friend like a starving woman missed the taste of food.

Sakura was grateful that the other patrons at the bar at least left her alone and that the bartender kept her drinks coming. She wasn't sure if she could keep herself from sobbing if anyone dared to speak to her for any other reason than asking if she wanted another drink. She felt as if she would break if anyone even so dared to look at her for too long.

After downing six full carafes of rice wine and noticing that she could no longer read the kanji painting the ceramic before her, she knew she needed to return to her room. She couldn't bear to call her room at the inn home because it was the farthest thing from.

Home was Konoha. Home was her parents and Naruto and Ino and Kakashi-sensei and Lady Tsunade. Home was the smell of her mother's cooking, the sight of the early morning sun shining through her bedroom window at daybreak, the sound of ninja's footsteps on her roof…

Home was not the room at the inn she was currently struggling to return to.

As Sakura tripped over trashcans, struggling to stand on the icy walkway, and hugged the walls of shops in an attempt to return to her bed, she could no longer abate the tears. It was as if the alcohol had only masked her despair for a few hours, compounding it to an unbearable level, before releasing it upon her all at once. Like kinking a garden hose until one looked into the spout only to have the kink straighten out and getting blasted in the face with water.

When Sakura finally made it to the inn she was staying at, she had collapsed on the floor in an agonized, sobbing mess. The kind inn keeper, a wide set woman with a warm smile and strong arms from tending to children, had gathered Sakura up like one of her own and taken her to her room.

She struggled to fall asleep, sprawled out on her futon with her shoes still on. Her growing bangs were stuck to the tear tracks coating her face and the scroll tucked into her obi dug into her stomach painfully. The world spun around her and sickness clawed at her throat, making her mouth water. In her state, she wasn't even capable of utilizing her chakra to burn off the alcohol, further compounding her misery.

She was grateful that, at least after passing out, her sleep was nothing but darkness.

That morning, Sakura left a hefty tip on her front desk before stumbling back into the world, painfully hungover and in search for breakfast… Lunch… Whatever time it was.

* * *

Just a few days later, as Sakura meditated in her room, gathering chakra in the seal on her forehead, a frantic pounding sounded at her door. Sakura shot to her feet, knowing that such a greeting could only mean immediate trouble, and swung open her door.

"Lady Sakura! Please, you must come quick!" the young, dark haired woman on the other side of the door, perhaps only fifteen years old, immediately beseeched.

"What's wrong?" the medic demanded, already grabbing her storage scroll and stuffing it into her obi.

"My name is Kiyoko and I'm a midwife. I have a woman who is only six months pregnant but who has been in labor for the past seven hours. There is so much blood and I-I don't know what to do. I fear she may die," Kiyoko explained hurriedly, tripping over her words in her panic, "Please hurry!"

"Show me where she is," Sakura instructed and the young woman took off like a shot.

The dark haired girl made a rapid right turn between two businesses and the pair ran across the street to where a small house laid, moving quickly despite the frost that coated the world around them. She was barely able to get the fusuma open in her haste, the sliding door shooting open and closing half way under her force, before the young girl was running inside, leading Sakura down a hallway. Neither bothered to remove their shoes in their rush.

Kiyoko slowly opened one of the few doors in the hallway, revealing a scene to the medic that immediately had her lurching forward to assist.

A woman with long, dark brown hair, possibly in her twenties, laid on a futon that was soaked in blood. She was bare from the waist down, her skirts pulled up high to reveal her thin legs spread wide. Her pale skin was covered in cold sweat and bloody handprints covered her thighs.

The woman looked up at Sakura with half lidded, hazel eyes, her face pinched in an expression of agony. She barely registering the medic falling to her knees next to her and placing hands glowing green with chakra on her swollen stomach.

"You're… Lady Sakura…" the woman whispered blearily, her eyes sliding shut once again as she continued to pant.

"That's me. What's your name?" Sakura asked, already assessing the woman's condition.

"Yoshima…" the brunette muttered, her eyes not opening again.

"Yoshima. Do you want to tell me what's happening? How did this start?" the medic continued, trying to keep the woman conscious and alert while she did her diagnostic.

From the looks of what she felt through her medical ninjutsu… It wasn't good.

Yoshima didn't answer, her head lolling to the side as she lost consciousness. Kiyoko came forward immediately to explain, her hands trembling at her sides.

"She's only six months pregnant. She came to me late last night and said that she had started bleeding heavily and that she was getting sharp pains. I know that she has lost the child somehow and that she must give birth, but… The baby is stuck…"

Sakura nodded in understanding, the scenario Kiyoko described fitting the situation she sensed through her diagnostic.

The medic immediate used her medical ninjutsu to numb the nerves in Yoshima's abdomen, knowing what needed to be done and refusing to feel the dread behind the realization.

Kiyoko hovered near Sakura anxiously, wringing her hands, as Sakura began mending the torn flesh inside of Yoshima, staunching the immediate bleeding. Once she was done, she formed a chakra scalpel.

"I'm going to perform what's called a cesarean section to remove the baby. I know you're a midwife, but this may look disturbing to you," Sakura explained calmly, looking to the young woman to make sure she understood.

While the woman had a ghastly look of her face, her eyes locked onto the chakra blade, she nodded in understanding.

Sakura leaned in to make a careful incision along Yoshima's lower abdomen, flesh, fat, muscle, and finally her peritoneum parting underneath the blade of chakra. She pressed further, making another cut along the wall of the woman's uterus.

Fluid from the already ruptured amniotic sac leaked from the open incision as Sakura reached in and parted her uterus. Spotting the leg of the deceased baby within, the medic frowned deeply as she reached into the organ. Pulling gently but firmly and using her other hand to manuever the vicera, she carefully removed the tiny babe.

Sakura reverently passed the unmoving, blood-coated baby to Kiyoko who took it with a broken expression and shaking hands. Using the umbilical cord as a guide, the medic reached into the woman's uterus to remove the placenta. She passed the organ to the midwife who openly cried, silent tears slipping down her cheeks as she cradled the deceased babe.

As the medic rapidly began knitting Yoshima's uterus, muscles, and flesh back together, desparately keeping her roiling emotions in check, the elder woman regained consciousness.

"S… Sakura… M-my baby…" Yoshima whispered, her eyebrows coming together as she felt the odd sensation of numbed flesh melding back together.

"I'm so sorry... Your…" Sakura responded quietly, struggling for the right words, "Your baby didn't make it…"

Yoshima was silent for a long moment and when Sakura finally looked up at her, she found that the woman was crying. Sakura finished mending her surgical incision and repaired the remainder of the internal damage from Yoshima's unsuccessful labor, giving the woman a moment of silence as she vented her sorrows.

Kiyoko entered the room once again on silent feet, the deceased but now cleaned baby wrapped up in a dark gray blanket. As Sakura finished the surgery by double checking that no invasive bacterial had entered the woman's body during the operation, the midwife handed the bundle to the mourning mother.

Sakura pulled down Yoshima's dress, covering the woman's legs, and she immediately rolled onto her side to clutch the bundle to her chest, crying harder. The young midwife stood and left as silently as she came, leaving Sakura and Yoshima alone.

Just as Sakura stood to leave, feeling as if she were intruding on the grieving mother's private moment of agony, the brunette began to speak.

"I thought… I thought that this time I would finally have my baby…"

Sakura kneeled back down on the ground, knowing that the mourning woman needed someone to speak to, despite Sakura not knowing what to say in response. She folded her hands in her lap, waiting patiently for the brunette to continue.

Yoshima sniffled before continuing in a broken voice. "This is my sixth pregnancy. Every one failed. I lost my baby every time… But no matter what, my husband and I kept trying."

She sobbed harder for a moment, her voice breaking as she was overwhelmed by her sorrow. She held the bundle tighter, her body shaking with the force of her agony.

"This was the last chance I had! My husband… He died five months ago… It was so sudden. I-I don't even know why. I had hoped I would make it through this time so I could finally have the baby we always wanted. I wanted to have a piece of him forever. I got farther than I ever had, but…" she explained through her tears before her sobs stole her words and her body trembled.

Sakura placed a gentle hand on the grieving woman's shoulder, not knowing what to say in the face of such anguish. Her comfort seemed to be enough, the woman's clammy, trembling hand reached up to tightly grasp Sakura's blood stained fingers.

They stayed there for what felt like hours, Yoshima crying uncontrollably as Sakura offered her her silent comfort. She struggled to keep her own tears in check, heat building behind her eyes as her heart clenching in her chest.

While she knew that it couldn't have been more than ten minutes, it felt like a lifetime in the face of such suffering.

The door quietly slid open as Kiyoko entered once again, this time holding a wicker basket and wearing a sullen, tear streaked face.

Sakura gave the mourning woman's hand a tight squeeze before impulsively leaning down to hug her. Yoshima sniffled loudly as her free arm came up to grasp Sakura's shoulder as she returned the hug weakly.

"Thank y-you…" the grieving mother whispered, tears finally escaping the medic's careful control as she stood to leave.

As Sakura left the makeshift delivery room and entered the frigid night air, she wiped away the tears that slipped down her cheeks with trembling, bloody hands.

* * *

From the time Sakura took a shower to wash off all the blood to the time she finally fell into a restless slumber, Sakura sobbed. She had never in her life been faced with such sorrow. For Yoshima to lose her husband and her baby… Sakura couldn't even imagine such agony. She would rather lose a limb than face such a fate.

While Sakura clinically suspected that the baby had passed away before Yoshima had even began bleeding and gone into labor, and even more than that knew that the baby wouldn't have been able to survive outside of the womb at such a young age, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. The feeling that she could have done more. That if she had just been there sooner, she could have saved that baby's life.

The feeling that she had failed yet again.

That morning, at the brink of dawn, Sakura crawled out of bed, a heaviness weighing on her heart. She still felt overwhelmed by that woman's anguish and by the fact that she felt as if she had finally lost her first patient: Yoshima's baby.

Despite knowing that she had made a mistake by drinking on Naruto's birthday, she decided she'd make the mistake again just for a few hours of numbness.

Sakura dressed herself in fresh clothes, tossing the blood stained yukata from the night before in the trash. She took the short and frigid walk down to a different, but closer, bar than the one she had gone to last. She still wasn't sure if she could face the bartender from the bar she had gone to last time...

The ratty establishment she found was empty of patrons, minus a man passed out in a booth, snoring loudly, who she was sure remained from the night previous. She bleakly strolled passed him, taking a seat at the sticky bar.

The gruff bartender gave her an odd stare but luckily didn't ask any questions when Sakura laid down a stack of bills and asked for a carafe of sake. He took the stack of money before laying out a questionably clean dish and a bottle of warm rice wine.

As Sakura eyed the stained dish numbly, she briefly considered drinking straight from the bottle. Not finding it in herself to care about the cleanliness of this rundown bar, she poured herself a dish and downed it immediately. A shiver ran down her spine at the bitter taste but she ignored it as she poured herself another.

She distantly wondered if this was how her mentor Tsunade had began her drinking habits but squashed the thought as quickly as it came. She couldn't add the sorrow of being separated from the ones she loved on top of her mourning.

She was halfway through her bottle and a quarter of the way to her desired state of intoxication when a man with dirty blond hair, pale skin, and rounded cheeks approached her cautiously.

"Lady Sakura?" the stranger inquired politely, standing off to her side instead of taking a seat at the bar.

"What?" Sakura replied rudely before downing another shot, too numb to care about her harsh tone.

"Please, I… I've been searching for you for the past two weeks. My name is Nobu Nakano. I heard about you from a woman in the nearby village of Ine-cho. She said you can work miracles. I… I need you to heal my sister," he beseeched, bowing deeply.

Sakura didn't even turn to acknowledge him as she poured herself another dish. "I'm not taking patients right now. Come back another day."

The sound of Nobu falling the the ground in a bow of complete supplication caused Sakura to whip around to stare at him.

"Please, I'm desperate! My sister, she's dying. I don't even know if she still lives! When I last left, her illness was so great she couldn't even get out of bed. I'm begging you, please come save her!" the man begged from the ground, his voice muffled as he pleaded into the filthy floor.

"I-I…" Sakura stuttered, embarrassment flooding her as the stranger begged at her feet.

"Please! We're a family of wealthy merchants and she is our leader as well as my sister. I can offer you two hundred thousand ryo if you save her. We'd do anything to have her back!" the blond implored, the sound of the beginning of tears straining his words.

Sakura was silent for a long moment, glancing over at her half finished bottle for a moment before returning to the man with his forehead pressed into the floor.

"F-fine. I'll come..." she sighed, turning away from the scene before her to stare at her bottle, "Just… Please get up…"

Nobu shot to his feet instantly, quicker than a puppet pulled up by it's strings. He wiped his eyes with the backs of his hands, trying to hide the fact he had been about to cry.

"Truly?" he asked breathlessly, a hesitant smile growing on his face.

"Yes, just… Just help me finish this and let me gather my things."

* * *

 _A/N: Yoshima means "good luck girl" even though the grieving mother has had just about the opposite of good luck. Kiyoko means "pure child". I named her this because she is a midwife. Nobu means "hope". Nakano means "middle" and "field, wilderness"._

 _Ine-cho is another tourist destination in Japan. Also, 200,000 ryo is about $2,000 USD._


	8. First Meeting

_A/N: And, the chapter you've been waiting for…_

 _Ranma are small panels, usually built into the wall above shoji or fusuma, which are designed to let in light. Amado are storm shutters designed to protect a house during storms or hold in heat. They can be open or closed and wrap around the engawa. In Japanese culture, their fireplaces/hearths (used for heating a home or cooking) are sunken into the floor in the center of a room instead of built into the wall. When cooking on them, there is a special hook that hangs from the ceiling to suspend pots over the fire._

* * *

After finishing up the now even more bitter sweet bottle of sake, Sakura led Nobu back to her room at the inn. He waited patiently in the lobby of the hotel while she stored the remainder of her things scattered across her room in her storage scroll and tucked everything neatly into her obi.

The medic slyly utilized a technique which Tsunade had taught her once, while her mentor had been blackout drunk, to filter the alcohol from her blood by speeding up the activity of her liver. A technique that she had been far too inebriated to use before but one she was more than capable of using now.

Sakura knew she needed to function at her full capacity not only to heal her newest patient but in case this mission was a trap. This man seemed genuine enough but she had been tricked by enough people to always be cautious. At least she had been cognizant enough to walk in a straight line on the icy roads back to her inn.

Meeting with her newest client, Sakura thanked the kind old innkeeper who had helped her to her room just a few short days ago. The woman had tried to refund her the money Sakura had remaining from all the days she had already paid for. The medic simply told her to offer the remaining days to anyone who needed them and earned a pleased smile from both the innkeeper and Nobu.

When Sakura and Nobu finally reached the edge of trade city, where the filthy brown snow turned to pristine white, she asked, "Okay, which way are we going?"

"We'll be heading towards the south-southeast. It will be a four day long trek, but if we hurry, we may be able to make it in two," the blond explained, a determined look on his rounded face.

A nearly week long trek was unacceptable if his sister was in such dire straits the last time he saw her. Not to mention how bone achingly cold it was and how incredibly unwilling Sakura was to sleep in the gods forsaken snow. She was miserable enough without adding sleeping in the freezing snow to the mix.

She briefly considered summoning one of her felines but knew that Hyo the leopard, despite being the fastest cat summons alive, would be upset at being lowered to a beast of burden. Not only that, she couldn't afford to waste the chakra when she needed to store what she could for whatever laid ahead.

Sakura promptly knelt on one knee and put her hands back with a demand of, "Alright, get on."

Nobu's face contorted in horror before he glanced around, checking to see if anyone was watching them. He stared at her in disbelief, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, and Sakura returned his stare with one of agitation.

"I... It... That would hardly be proper... Lady Sakura," he sputtered, looking anywhere but at her as he searched for an excuse to avoid being given a piggyback ride by a woman half a foot shorter than him and wearing a crimson winter kimono.

Sakura sighed. "You said you weren't even sure if your sister was still alive, right? Do you really want to waste time walking when I could get us there in less than a day?"

Nobu wrung his hands nervously but considered her words. He looked back up to her, his lips pressed in a thin line and his cheeks bright red, before taking a hesitant step forward. He paused.

"But I'm so much bigger than you… Can you really carry me?"

"Trust me. It's either this or I summon one of my cats and he won't be happy about having to carry someone."

The man's expression morphed into one of terror at the thought of being carried by one of Sakura's now well-known summons, let alone one that was displeased. He finally walked forward and planted his feet on either side of her awkwardly. She wrapped her arms around his knees and stood, using a minuscule amount of chakra to heft the man onto her back. Nobu's arms immediately wrapped around her shoulders and he yelped in surprise.

"Hang on. And don't forget to show me where I'm going," Sakura directed as she adjusted the uncomfortable man on her back.

When she leapt into the snowy treetops and began her run, she nearly laughed aloud at the high pitched, terrified screeches coming from Nobu, his cries of alarm scattering a flock of birds.

A moment of joy to break up the months of suffering.

* * *

With Sakura being able to sprint through the trees and with a still terrified Nobu shakily pointing out directions as he clung to her for dear life, they reached the man's village by sunset. She watched the snowy terrain slowly transform into freezing forests as she made her way farther south.

The thick forest of pine and bare oak trees parted to reveal a few dozen homes and businesses built atop a large, grassy clearing. A slow moving river ran along the edge of the town and the setting sun lit up the small village in brilliant shades of red and orange. Smoke lazily drifted up from the houses, no doubt from hearths used to warm homes in the colder months.

Sakura leapt down from the icy canopy of trees and deposited Nobu onto the ground. He released a dramatic sigh of relief as his feet touched solid land for the first time in nearly hours.

They began their walk towards the village and, as they drew closer, Sakura noticed five individuals dressed in silver and black painted armor run out to the perimeter of the town. They all drew their weapons and fell into defensive positions as she and Nobu approached.

A stern eyed woman with cherry colored hair piled on top of her head in a utilitarian bun stepped out in front of the group of armored men and women, openly scowling at Sakura.

Tension built within Sakura at the sight before her even though the kunoichi portrayed a calm front. While it appeared that this was no ambush, this scenario could go very poorly if allowed to escalate.

"Lady Akane!" Nobu yelled in greeting, a wide smile spread across his lips.

"Nobu?" the red head questioned, her face pinched in confusion as her sharp eyes flicked between Sakura and the male.

"I've succeeded in my journey!" the blond man cheered as he ran forward to greet the stern faced woman, "I have returned with The Angel of Kiso and she's agreed to help Nozomi!"

"The _Angel of Kiso_? A lofty title and a false one, I'm sure," Akane scoffed before leveling Sakura with a venomous glare, "How can we trust some stranger you picked up off of the street?"

"I can assure you that I'm not here to cause you any harm. I'm just here to help Nobu's sister," Sakura spoke, holding out her hands in a placating manner.

"It's true! I spoke to a few people in the villages I traveled to and they all told me about her kindness. While she may be the kunoichi Lady Sakura-" Akane shot Nobu an alarmed glance at that, finally breaking eye contact with Sakura, "-she is also a woman who performs miracles. She has even helped the destitute for nothing."

"You bring _her_ here to our home?" Akane snarled, glancing at Sakura with an expression of panic, "Are you daft? She will kill us all!"

"I'm not here to cause trouble, I promise. If you've heard of me, you know that I've never hurt anyone who hasn't tried to hurt my friends. I'm only here to help," the medic tried, her patience quickly waning with the sensation of despair from losing her first patient still digging into the back of her mind.

"Oh? And what of the Taiyo and the Hogosha clans? You murdered them all in cold blood!" the fiery woman accused, taking a menacing step forward. The guards behind her tensed, falling farther into their defensive positions, weapons still raised.

"I was dragged into that fight! I wanted nothing to do with them and they attacked me when I was passing through!" Sakura finally snapped, returning Akane's glare.

"Lady Akane, please! She has agreed to help us. Would you let my sister die just because you don't trust Lady Sakura? If she is as powerful as you say, she could have easily attacked us already but she hasn't," Nobu argued, stepping between his kin and the medic defensively.

Akane scoffed loudly before staring at Sakura for a long, tense moment. She grimaced before sheathing her sword and glaring at the male. "The burden of our deaths falls upon you should she betray us, Nobu."

The blond relaxed considerably as the other guards sheathed their weapons and turned to enter the village without another word, the unconditional trust they held in the red head more than apparent. Akane remained, crossing her arms over her armored chest and glaring at the kunoichi, obviously staying to watch over her.

"Come with me, Lady Sakura. I'll take you to my sister," the man declared, waving her forward with a hopeful smile.

* * *

The woman who Sakura was taken to was without a doubt at death's door.

Even in unconsciousness, cold sweat ran down the blonde woman's face and her body trembled. Her cheeks were flushed, starkly contrasting against her sickly pale skin, and her breathing was uneven and labored. The medic could tell that, even though the woman's body was covered in a thick comforter, she was severely emaciated.

"Oh, gods, she is so much worse than I thought…" Nobu whispered in horror, dropping to his knees at his sister's side and grasping her clammy hand.

As Sakura knelt down beside the sickly blonde, Akane, who insisted on shadowing her every movement, eyed her warily with her hand resting on the hilt of her katana. Sakura ignored the red head as she gently pulled back the blanket and placed her glowing hands on the unconscious woman's stomach,

"How did this start?" Sakura questioned as she began her initial scan of her patient.

"She tripped and cut her hand on a fence... It seemed like nothing but, a week later, she became sick. It slowly got worse from there until she was unable to walk. Last time I saw her though, she was still awake…" Nobu explained in a low voice, his terrified expression shooting between the medic's glowing hands and Nozomi's face.

Sakura grimaced as her scan substantiated what Nobu had told her. This woman, Nozomi, had been inoculated with a bacteria which her body had been unable to fight off. The colony of invaders had grown and spread through her blood until it had become systemic.

It was a miracle she was still alive at all. It would take more than a miracle to bring her back.

"Nobu, I… I'll try my best to help her but… She has a severe infection that has progressed very far. I'm not sure if I can save her," Sakura informed bleakly, wincing at the broken look the man shot her.

She quickly looked away, forcing down the lump building in her throat.

" _Please_ , I'm begging you... Do what you can to help my sister. She's the most precious person in the world to me and I-I don't… I don't know what I'd do without her…" the man begged, his trembling hands clutching Nozomi's limp hand.

Akane looked away from the scene before her, her expression twisted in misery and her hands fisting at her sides.

Sakura's eyebrows came together in concern as her eyes returned to the dying woman before her. Her mind flashed back to just the previous night when she had looked down upon Yoshima, unconscious and dying with her deceased child killing her from within. Her heart ached as she thought of the mourning mother and the sorrow the woman had felt at losing her baby.

Sakura thought of how ashamed she felt at not being able to help Yoshima save the life of her child. She thought of how much of a failure she felt for not being able to save the day for the first time in her life. She was a healer, a savior. She knew it was ridiculous to think that she could save every patient but...

She thought of how broken Nobu would be if he lost his sister.

Sakura knew it was ridiculous to think that she could save every patient but, Gods, she needed to try.

Her expression hardened with determination as she steeled her resolve. She wouldn't lose another patient. She couldn't...

"I'll do my best."

* * *

Five hours.

The procedure took five grueling hours. Sakura had almost lost Nozomi briefly during the heart of the healing but had just barely been able to bring her back from the brink.

She had spent the first couple hours tearing apart thousands of the microscopic bacteria, hoping that the woman's complement system would take advantage of the released antigens. She noticed when a few of her antigen presenting cells processed the dead bits of bacteria and began to interact with her T-cells, kick starting her immune system's reaction to the invaders.

Sakura nearly sighed with relief when she had noticed, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Nozomi's body could fight off the infection on her own. With that part done, she began healing the damage already done to her internal organs and keeping her blood pressure stable.

Nobu had fallen asleep on the floor next to his sister, having refused to leave her side. Sakura allowed him to stay, but only if he remained quiet. He had been true to his word and remained silent even in sleep. The guard Akane, having apparently been satisfied with Sakura's lack of aggression, had retired from the room.

Hours later, Sakura felt as the numerous phagocytes she helped produce began to swarm the bacteria invading Nozomi's body. When they did, however, her inflammation reaction was so severe that her blood pressure plummeted from the sudden and intense vasodilation of her capillaries.

It was then that Sakura nearly lost her patient to shock. The medic had poured so much chakra into the woman's capillaries to calm the inflammation reaction that she considered activating the seal on her forehead to continue.

Nozomi's blood pressure had risen just in time to avert her death, something that had Sakura sighing in relief. She wiped the sweat from her brow before continuing onward. She wouldn't lose this patient. Death would have to appear in the flesh and fight her if he wanted to take Nozomi away.

Hours later, the warm bedroom long shrouded in the darkness of night, Sakura finally withdrew her hands and breathed deeply as victory coursed through her veins. She finally allowed herself to smile as her eyes fell upon Nozomi, now breathing evenly with a healthy flush to her skin.

As Sakura sat there, exhaustion weighing her down, she absentmindedly pondered the creation of a new jutsu. One that would put her patient in a kind of stasis to allow her to work on them without them actively dying. One that could avert a situation like this from even happening again.

As she considered how she would go about creating such a jutsu, and what seals she would need to bind her patient to in order to accomplish it, Nobu stirred. He sat up abruptly, his eyes falling upon his still unconscious sister.

"Lady Sakura… Is-is she…?" he began, his urgent gaze not leaving his peacefully sleeping sister's face.

Sakura nodded , exhausted, as she smiled at him. "She'll recover."

Nobu's face twisted as he attempted to control the tears that built in his eyes. He fisted his hands around the fabric of his pants as he folded over, attempting to hide his sudden and harsh sobs. He wiped the tears now streaming down his face with the palms of his hands.

His gaze finally reached hers and, even through his tears, he cried, "Thank you… Thank you, Lady Sakura. Thank you so-so much…"

"No… bu…" a soft, feminine voice whispered from below them, "Why are you crying…?"

Nobu and Sakura's gaze shot to the blonde lying down on the bedroll, having been awoken by the sound of her brother's sobbing. While she looked unbelievably exhausted, she was cognisant.

"Nozomi…?" the male muttered brokenly, staring at his now conscious sister in awe, tears still slipping down his cheeks.

Nozomi smiled wearily in response and Nobu collapsed upon her, wrapping her up in his arms. "You're awake… Thank the gods, you're awake…"

Sakura took this as her cue to leave, standing and quietly exiting the room to give the siblings their privacy.

As she gently closed the fusuma behind her and walked out into the moonlight, Akane strode up to her. The redhead harshly glared at Sakura for a long moment, her body as taut as a bow string, before her expression reluctantly softened into one resembling respect.

Sakura was shocked when the woman held out her hand and she smiled widely as she shook it.

* * *

When Nozomi had fully awakened later that night and after she had eaten her first meal in weeks, Sakura was called back into her room. The woman remained in her futon but sat up fully, a healthy glow to her face that was only brightened by her smile. Nobu, who wore a overjoyed grin that he just couldn't shake, immediately introduced the two.

"Sister. This is Lady Sakura, the woman who saved your life," Nobu introduced, the young woman smiling and nodding in greeting, "And Lady Sakura. This is Nozomi Nakano. She's my sister and the leader of our family."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Nozomi," Sakura greeted with a respectful bow.

"Please, no pleasantries. You undoubtedly saved my life. Just call me Nozomi," the blonde laughed, smiling warmly.

Sakura couldn't help but smile in return, already knowing that she would like this woman. "Of course, Nozomi. And please, call me Sakura. I'm glad to see you're doing well."

"All thanks to you. Now, as for your payment. I was told that my brother offered quite a reward for your help, but I would like to offer you something more. You must be exhausted from carrying my brother this whole way..." Nobu grimaced in embarrassment, drawing a wider grin from Nozomi. "And from working on me for so long. I would like to offer you a room in my home so that you may rest and so we may provide you with a warm bath and some food."

"That sounds amazing. Thank you for your offer," Sakura returned, overjoyed at the prospect of rest and some good food.

"Wonderful. I'll let you get your rest then. We'll speak tomorrow. Nobu? Would you be so kind as to show her to our guest rooms?"

"It would be my pleasure," Nobu chirped with an overjoyed grin stretched across his face as he immediately shot to his feet.

* * *

Akane, despite having been spying on the kunoichi healing Nozomi for most of the night, refused to abandon her duties as the guard captain and refused to allow her family to be put in danger. She walked her route along the perimeter of her town, diligently looking out for any trouble that may come along in the village's weakened state.

After being taken in by the Nakano family following her defection from the Uzumaki clan, Akane would do anything to protect her new family. Even if that promise now left her feeling a deep sense of guilt. It had been her decisions that had nearly lead to Nozomi's death. If it hadn't been for Nobu, she would have been lost...

She had thought she had done the right thing by demanding Nobu stay in the village, by ordering him to not seek out help for Nozomi when it had become apparent she was becoming gravely ill. The order had broken her heart, the runaway Uzumaki having wanted to do anything to save the life of her lady. The life of the woman she loved.

Akane knew how shinobi worked while Nobu did not. She knew what they were capable of after spending her childhood being raised by the Uzumaki. Even now, so many years later, she still had nightmares. Nightmares of the feeling of warm blood on her hands, the sounds of the dying, the smell of the remants of massacres, the strench of rot and death burned into her mind forever.

Shinobi were _monsters_. They could scent blood in the air like animals on the hunt and she had thought that, if anyone caught wind of the Nakano family being weakened due to Nobu's frantic search for a doctor, that the wolves would be at their door. So Akane had tried to prevent Nobu from leaving the village.

She thought that Nozomi would want it this way, that she would want to keep her illness a secret to keep her family safe. Akane had gone against what she wanted, disregarded what her own heart begged for, and had ordered Nobu to stay.

When he had disappeared in the dead of night, she had warred with herself. Part of her was furious that Nobu had disregarded her warnings and her knowledge of shinobi to instead go on his desperate search. She was livid that he was willing to put every member of his family in danger, especially his own, for his gamble. More than anything, however, she prayed he would come home with help.

Even though her prayers had come true, Akane had been horrified when Nobu had returned with a _kunoichi_ in tow. After all of her suffering at the hands of ninja, she had never thought that a kunoichi would be the one to save Nozomi's life. Even more, she never imagined that a kunoichi would earn her respect.

Akane allowed herself a smile as she continued on her patrol only for her expression of joy to be interrupted by the harsh cry of a messenger hawk above her. Her gaze snapped up to the sky, quickly spotting the erratically flying bird, and she released a piercing whistle, calling it to her.

The bird plummeted from the sky, correcting it's descent just in time to perch on Akane's armored forearm. The red head's eyes widened as she noticed that the hawk was injured and that the piece of paper wrapped around its leg was splattered with blood.

She removed the note from the hawk's offered leg and quickly read it through, her eyes widening in alarm at it's contents. She held up her arm, the hawk taking the cue and flying off to it's perch at the village's aviary, before Akane took off running to her lady's room.

The red head briskly knocked on the door and was greeted with Nozomi's comforting voice calling her fourth. She opened the sliding door and entered, immediately falling to one knee at her leader's bedside.

"Akane? What's wrong?" Nozomi asked, her expression pinched in concern.

"We have trouble. I just received word from one of our scouts in the forest. The Senju are mobilizing outside of our borders, preparing for an attack. They have more than likely been hired by our rivals," she informed quickly, watching as Nozomi's eyes widened with the information.

Akane watched, silently amazed by her strength, as Nozomi's expression hardened with determination and as she threw off her blankets. She shakily stood from her bed and approached her desk, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen to jolt down a note. She returned to Akane, handing her the still drying letter.

"Please go to the aviary and send this note to the Uchiha. Use our fastest messenger hawk. We have little time if those curs hired the Senju," the blonde explained.

"Right away," Akane replied as she reached out to take the letter from Nozomi's hands, her heart beginning to race as she thought of the battle that waited her.

She should have never allowed Nobu to leave. She should have done anything to keep him for revealing to the world how weak they were. She could have prevented this. It was her fault that they were going to be attacked. It was her selfishness that would lead to their deaths at the hands of the Senju, a clan even more depraved than her own blood.

The wolves were coming and there was nothing she could do to stop them.

Akane started in surprise when Nozomi placed her soft hand over hers, her eyes snapping up to meet the warm gaze of the Nakano matriarch.

" _Breathe_ , Akane," Nozomi whispered with a smile, her thumb brushing across the back of her hand in soothing circles, "Everything will be okay."

Akane felt as her anxiety began to ebb in the face of her gentle words. She paused, obeying her matriarch and dropping her head. She took a deep breath, allowing her thoughts to slow in their frantic racing and for her heart to calm in it's thunderous beating in her chest.

When her gaze returned to Nozomi, Akane was finally able to return her smile. "It will be okay."

* * *

The Uchiha clan leader donned his armor with practiced ease, strapping the layered, red leather dou, kusazuri, and sode over his high collared, long sleeved shirt in preparation for the nighttime battle that would soon ensue.

He could hear his strike force gathering outside, the footsteps of a dozen men and women being the only sound so late at night.

The Uchiha had received an urgent message from the Nakano family, a wealthy family of merchants, late that night. His clan had been hired by the merchant family a handful of times, usually for bodyguard missions and assaults on their rival's holdings, but apparently the Nakano's rival family had finally gathered the funds to hire the Uchiha's sworn enemy: the Senju.

The Nakano paid well and always held up their end of their arrangements, so the loss of their small village would be a loss of a good customer.

Although he, and undoubtedly his brother, was excited to test his mettle against his enemies, he was concerned for the other members of his family which would be coming along. Most were young and fairly new to the battlefield as more than a dozen of his more hardened family members had been struck down in the battle at Biei just a few months prior. Even more had been crippled, some deigning to take their own lives rather than be demoted to a life of service outside of combat, the blow to their honor too severe to bear.

Not just that but two of the more skilled shinobi in his family, two siblings around his own age, had been badly poisoned during an assassination mission gone wrong. Even now, they suffered. Their clan produced no healers and the minimal first aid that they knew was nowhere near enough to tend to an ail as complex as the poison his family members were struggling against.

Without a doubt, they would be dead come morning.

The thought of losing more of his family members to protect another family with which the only tie they shared was payment sat poorly with him.

Shrugging off his concern and strengthening his resolve, Madara secured his gunbai and kama to his back and strode out to meet those already gathered.

He nodded to Izuna who was already waiting outside, his sharingan eyes sharp in the moonlight. They shared a moment of silent communication before his younger brother nodded in return and the entire strike force, made up of a dozen Uchiha, took to the trees surrounding the outskirts of their village.

They had to hurry.

* * *

Sakura was startled awake by the sounds of yelling.

Her eyes shot open immediately, alarmed by the panicked voices shouting nearby. As she absorbed her surroundings, shaking off the fogginess of sleep, she realized that it was the dead of night. The only light that entered her room was the soft glow of the waning moon drifting in through the ranma lining the tops of the walls.

As the urgent voices reached her ears once again, she bolted to her feet and threw on the crimson winter kimono she had worn the day before. She dragged her socks and sandals onto her feet and jammed her storage scroll into her obi before bolting out the door. When she entered the frigid night air, three guards she didn't recognize sprinted passed her.

The Sakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion and she immediately followed, disconcerted by whatever had the armored men and women in such a panic.

"Come on, we have to hurry! They're already here!" one of the guards yelled as she sprinted towards the perimeter of the village.

As Sakura was trailing behind them on silent feet, she had a front row seat of the armored guards being skewered by a sudden and powerful earth jutsu which shot spikes of stone.

When the jutsu passed by her, missing her by just a few feet and taking the now dead guards with it, a burst of adrenaline flooded her system. As time slowed down around her, her gaze slowly turned towards the source of the jutsu, a stone faced brunet with his palms pressed flat onto the ground.

Sakura acted without thinking, overcome with rage at the senseless death of the family of the people she now thought of as friends. Forcing chakra into her feet, she leapt in a high arc, descending upon the man with an scream of unbridled fury.

The shinobi had just enough time to shoot to his feet and prepare to block her strike when she landed on him. In the face of her chakra fueled axe kick, his guard crumpled like wet paper. She followed through with her strike, her foot slamming through the man in an explosion of gore, before connecting with the earth beneath him in a riotous explosion of rock and dirt.

The ground beneath her burst open with a resounding boom, massive hunks of earth, grass, and stone exploding all around her. As rocks and dirt rained down from above, Sakura caught sight of a woman, similar in appearance to the man she had just killed, rocket forward in an attempt to skewer her with her tanto.

Sakura raised her hands to parry the stranger's blow, flooding her palm with chakra so the woman's blade wouldn't slice open her hand. The stranger hadn't been expecting her strategy of smoothly deflecting the blade with her hand, and ran into her oncoming fist.

Her punch, made even more deadly by her fury, landed square in the brunette's chest. She felt her sternum shatter under her strike and followed through, launching her body outwards into the field surrounding the village. Her corpse tumbled, boneless, along the ground before skidding to a halt.

Before Sakura could even absorb what had happened in the past five seconds, three unknown shinobi were upon her. She leapt out of the way of their harmonized strike just in time. The group adjusted perfectly for her dodge, rapidly sprinting towards where she was going to land.

The second the medic landed, she spun and kicked one of the boulders that had been unearthed by her earlier strike, rocketing it towards the oncoming group. While two of the shinobi dodged her attack by a thin margin, the third was caught head on by the rapidly oncoming hunk of rock. He was immediately crushed beneath the makeshift weapon, a violent burst of red exploding from beneath the stone.

The two remaining shinobi were upon her with a rapidness she hadn't seen since the last time she sparred with Kakashi. She dodged their blows by a hair but had no time between their flawlessly executed strikes to get in a hit of her own.

She backflipped out of the way of their synchronized slices and, as she was upside down, caught sight of two more enemy shinobi coming at her from behind. She filled her feet with chakra and when they hit the ground at the end of her backflip, the earth once again exploded under her strength. The tremor and the violently shifting ground that resulted from her move threw her opponents off just enough for her to rocket forward, landing a deadly kick against one enemy kunoichi which launched her across the field.

Sakura's three remaining opponents stayed back this time, keeping their distance from her. They studied her movements critically as they circled around her like a pack of wolves.

It was then that Sakura caught sight of something that stole the breath from her lungs. Having finally slowed down enough to fully observe her opponents, she noticed the moonlight glint across the armor one of the women wore.

Branded into her metal chest plate, right above her heart, was the Senju clan crest.

In her distracted state, she failed to notice the chakra signatures of two more shinobi in the ground beneath her. They emerged in a burst of dirt, their swords already raised.

The feeling of being impaled in the midsection from two different directions was one of the oddest sensations of Sakura's life. The tugging sensation was immediate but, in her shock, the pain took a millisecond to grab hold. When it did, however, the agony was excruciating.

She cried out as the two shinobi who had emerged from the ground buried their katanas to their hilts in her abdomen. They released the blades as they both whipped passed her, joining the group of three who surrounded her.

Sakura immediately collapsed to her knees, drawing in a ragged breath as the shock of having been skewered took hold. She heard one of the men chuckle as he moved in to land a final blow on her, his steps slow and measured.

"Didn't take as much as I thought to take down the infamous _Lady Sakura_ …" he taunted, closing in on her.

"I'm not done yet," Sakura hissed through her teeth as the Senju stopped before her, raising his katana into the air to deliver a killing blow.

"From where I'm standing-" was all her opponent got out before Sakura released the seal on her forehead.

The sudden access to the reservoir of chakra she had built up felt like a fresh burst of adrenaline. The flood of unbridled energy which poured into her was erratic and overwhelming due to her activating her seal before it was complete but she knew she had no other choice. The explosion of power which burned through her veins was everything she needed to defend herself.

Before the thick black lines which ran down her face even reached her neck, her fist shot out and connected with the man's exposed middle. The explosion of gore that burst forth from her striking at his fleshy middle coated the ground behind him. She had put too much strength into that punch, her fist shooting through his body and out the other side without moving him in the slightest.

The pain of jostling the blades buried deep in her abdomen was hellish and dragged a whimper from her lips but she had to make the strike before he finished her. As his body fell to the ground, her trembling fist making a wet squelching noise as it was pulled free from his chest, the black tendrils finished their path to the ends of her limbs.

With a cry of agony, Sakura slammed her hands together, forming the tiger seal.

"Creation Rebirth!" she howled, the pain from her midsection immediately washing away as her cells multiplied and repaired themselves around the blades. She still felt a dull tugging sensation, the two katana still buried inside of her midsection, but she ignored it.

As her remaining opponents leapt back and dropped into defensive stances, she flew through a string of handsigns and ran her thumb across her stab wound, gathering some of her own blood. She slammed her palm into the ground below her.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Sakura screamed, a seal of concentric circles depicting kanji erupting on the ground around her hand.

A great burst of smoke erupted around her, obscuring her and the summon she had called forth in the immense smokescreen.

Tora, the gargantuan tigress, shot out from the smoke with a booming roar that thundered across the battlefield like the crack from a bolt of lightning. She ate up the space between Sakura and one of the kunoichi across the field in an instant. She batted the started Senju, the woman tearing to bits instantly as Tora's claws ripped through her like rice paper. Her blood, flesh, and viscera coated a thirty foot stretch of land.

The other shinobi had little time to react before Tora was on to the next ninja, tearing her claws through him in the same way as the first, her vicious snarls ripping through the air. The two remaining shinobi drew back immediately, already weaving hand signs for jutsu to defend themselves from the boss summon before them.

Sakura stood tall as the massive tiger pounced upon one of the Senju just before he got off his jutsu. The man was crushed beneath her paws, the ground trembling so violently under her weight that the other shinobi lost control of her own jutsu.

The remaining opponent released a lightning bolt that missed Tora by a hair. Instead of the tiger descending upon the jutsu user, however, she shot out into the forest. Trees bent and snapped as she ran, following some unknown lead.

Sakura used the chaos to charge at the remaining kunoichi who had used the lightning jutsu. The tidal wave of chakra that rushed from her seal allowed her to move exponentially quicker than in her normal state, even with the swords still trapped in her body, and she was upon her enemy immediately.

True to the nature of the jutsu she had just used, the woman was as fast as lightning. The Senju dodged her deadly blows, having learned from watching her that even a single one of her strikes spelled death. With Sakura's increased speed, however, she was able to prevent the brunette from weaving hand signs.

Tiring of her lack of connection, Sakura stomped the ground beneath her. The earth exploded outward, making the woman lose her footing on the shifting ground. She shot forward, taking advantage of her imbalance, to land a punch across her face.

The woman's skull disseminated under the force of Sakura's blow, gore splattering the ground behind her foe. The brunette's corpse tumbled backwards before slamming into a distant tree, her limbs splayed out unnaturally.

With shouts of alarm, five more Senju burst from the forest. Tora, hot on their tails, herded them towards Sakura, refusing to allow them to retreat. Any time one tried to enter the forest once again, presumably to flee, the tiger was upon them and forcing them back into the clearing with a resounding snarl that reverberated in Sakura's chest.

While the feline summons batted at the Senju flitting around her, letting loose vicious growls and intimidating roars as she did, Sakura sprinted to the nearby treeline.

One of the enemy kunoichi was able to let loose a powerful water jutsu which shot bullets of water towards Tora. The massive summons leapt out of the way of the majority of the jutsu but snarled as a few of the water bullets pierced her leg. She landed roughly with her injured limb, a harsh tremor running through the ground.

Four of the five remaining Senju rushed forward to land a finishing blow on the injured feline. They leapt high into the air as they weaved their hand signs, only for two of them to immediately be struck to the ground by a oak tree which rocketed through the air, thrown by a furious Sakura.

Sakura, already armed with another oak tree, poured chakra into her feet and shot into the air with a burst of speed to meet the other airborne ninja.

One of the men shot her a terrified look even as he finished his jutsu, letting loose a burst of flames which engulfed both Sakura and her tree.

Sakura emerged from the other side of the flames, as unphased by his jutsu as she was by the blades still piercing her stomach, and batted him with the flaming tree she still had clutched in her hands. The man shot towards the ground at an unbelievable speed and hit the earth with a dramatic splatter.

The other airborne shinobi continued with his assault on Tora, releasing a wind jutsu that Sakura suspected was meant to feed the other shinobi's fire jutsu. Tora, however, overpowered the cutting gale to slice the wind user with her claws. The man was cut in half by the her strike midair, gore raining down upon the battlefield.

Sakura landed gracefully, tossing the burning tree to the side carelessly and quickly patting out the flames scorching her ruined kimono. She looked back to Tora, checking to make sure she was okay, before looking towards the final Senju, the one who had used the water jutsu, just as she finished a summoning jutsu of her own.

From the concealing smoke rushed a brown bear, nearly as large as Sakura's own summons. It barreled into Tora, knocking her to the ground briefly before she rapidly rolled over and they engaged in brutal combat. They both came up onto their hind legs, slicing each other with their claws as their thunderous roars shook the air. When their front paws hit the ground in between strikes, tremors rattled the earth.

Sakura rocketed forward to attack the Senju who had summoned the bear. The woman, as if anticipating her attack, disappeared beneath the ground. Sakura, ready to finish this fight, immediately stomped the ground on top of the spot she had disappeared from. Her chakra enhanced kick formed a monstrous crater than spanned a hundred yards. The ground crushed down, compressing the earth the Senju had hid in so quickly that there was no way she had survived the pressure.

Tora, far more powerful than even the great bear that had been summoned, made quick work of the opposing summon. With a harsh bat of her claws, one so incredible that Sakura could feel the blow reverberate through the air like an explosion, the tiger put an end to the bear she battled. The summoned creature disappeared with a cry of agony and a great burst of smoke.

As she stood tall, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield, she heard a wet, hacking cough and turned to face the noise. She noticed that one of the men who she had knocked out of the sky with the tree still lived, even though he clutched his bloody, crushed chest with a clearly broken arm.

Sakura leapt out of the crater and strode confidently, even with the swords still embedded in her abdomen, towards the undoubtedly dying man lying prone on the battlefield. Tora, growling deeply, prowling to flank her summoner and knowing that Sakura was to make the final kill.

* * *

The other members of Madara and Izuna's strike force had nearly been knocked off their feet multiple times by the earthquakes that rocked the ground beneath their feet.

Madara could hear what sounded like roars in the distance and had quickened his pace towards the Nakano village. As he approached, the sounds of a battle already being waged met his ears. He scowled, wondering if they were too late.

It was the sudden silence that followed the chaos, however, that concerned him most of all.

The group emerged from the trees which surrounded the village to come across a scene which shocked them all. The elder Uchiha came to an immediate stop on the outskirts of the clearing and gazed out at the battlefield before him, a sight made especially crisp by his Sharingan.

The scene laid out before Madara was one of absolute carnage. He had seen carnage many times in his life; he had been the cause of it for the majority of those times. This battlefield, however, was a completely different kind of destruction than he was used to. Instead of fire razing everything in it's path, the heat and chaos being something he was not only familiar with but reveled in, it appeared as if a great calamity had struck this place. The field was decimated.

Barely recognizable corpses of Senju littered the clearing, their crushed and tattered forms carelessly tossed about like ragdolls. Blood and viscera bloomed around the bodies and in dramatic splashes across the entire field.

The ground was completely upheavaled, massive fissures large enough to swallow a man spider webbing across the field and craters scarring the ground. Boulders were strewn about as if harvested from the earth itself, one leaking crimson from beneath its massive weight.

Trees as wide as he was tall had been uprooted from the ground and carelessly tossed aside, their roots still clinging to the dirt they had held onto since they were saplings. One was decorated with dark splotches which shined in the light from the waning moon while another was charred black.

At the center of it all stood the most otherworldly woman Madara had ever seen in his life, flanked by a summoned tiger taller than the forest surrounding them.

The woman was the only one still standing on the field, her vicious presence and flood of chakra a beacon drawing in the entirety of his attention. Time stood still as he took in her brilliant stance, menacingly hovering over the last remaining Senju with her fist raised high and her face the picture of rage. Even with her body splattered with blood, her dainty fists completely coated with gore, and two swords protruding from her abdomen, she looked mythical. Like a spirit of battle sent from the other side. Like a goddess of war.

Abruptly, her fist came down. The blow she leveled on her prone enemy resulted in an explosion of gore and produced an explosion which rained dirt and stone upon the battlefield. He felt the shockwave from her blow from where he stood some distance away, rattling him down to his bones.

When her eyes shot up to his, her viridian orbs radiating her fury, Madara's jaw relaxed in surprise. From here he could see thick black lines running from the center of her forehead and down her blood splattered face, framing her intense eyes. The killing intent coming off of her was palpable and it was obvious that if she deemed them a threat, she would attack them with the same viciousness she had treated the broken corpse at her feet with.

Her eyes bored into him without any trace of fear as she removed her fist from the man's chest cavity with a wet squelch. Her intense stare, and the destruction that surrounded her, had Madara's heart racing.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

The kunoichi kept her keen eyes on them even as she stood to her full height and pulled out the swords piercing her abdomen with nary a wince. He, and the rest of his platoon, watched in muted awe as her torn skin knitted itself back together, a trail of steam emerging from her wound before it sealed. She dropped the blood soaked blades to the ground like trash, the weapons making a muted clang as they hit the dirt.

The overwhelmingly massive tiger which stood behind her protectively waited for her order, it's deep, warning growl reverberating through the air and rattling in his chest.

Madara had never found himself so enthralled by a woman before in his life.

Here she was… A pink haired woman, who probably wouldn't even come up to his collarbone if they stood face to face, who had single-handedly demolished a strike force of at least a dozen Senju.

A woman dressed in a crimson winter kimono who stood in the center of a battlefield that she had destroyed with her own two, deceptively delicate looking hands. A woman who had not only survived two fatal wounds to the abdomen, but who had healed them instantly after removing the blades from herself without batting an eye. A woman who counted one of the most threatening summoned animals he had ever seen in his life as her ally.

A woman who stared into his eyes unflinchingly, her gore soaked fists raised defensively, fully prepared to kill him should she decide he was a threat...

The Uchiha clan leader knew he should say something to calm her but struggled to find the words for a long moment. He was overwhelmed by her presence and her gaze, his mind coming up with nothing but the thought that she was so unbelievably, undeniably, violently beautiful.

Madara felt rather than saw Izuna's gaze on him and it was under that prompting that that he found his voice. Despite his inner thoughts and feeling oddly as if he was addressing a goddess of war instead of a strange, bloodied woman, his voice was still authoritative and strong.

"We were called upon to defend this village but it appears our assistance was unneeded."

* * *

 _A/N: Akane means "brilliant red", due to her hair. Nozomi means "faith" which goes along with her brother Nobu's name which means "hope". After Akane fled the Uzumaki and came across the Nakano village when she was still very young, her and Nozomi became very close and eventually became lovers._

 _A tanto is basically a dagger. A dou is a chest plate made up of iron and or leather plates of various sizes and shapes. Kusazuri are made from iron or leather plates hanging from the front and back of the dou (dō) to protect the lower body and upper leg. Sode are large rectangular shoulder protection made from iron and or leather plates. These are the names of the main pieces that make up Madara's (and Hashirama's and Tobirama's) armor._


	9. The Offer

_A/N: I am so thrilled with the last chapter's reception! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who reviewed and commented! Your encouraging words and you keyboard smashes truly inspire me to keep writing and to write to the best of my capabilities! I adore you all!_

* * *

Sakura stared out at the group of a dozen strangers standing at the shadowed edge of the forest, adrenaline from her battle still surging through her veins. The man, apparently their leader, said that they had been called upon to defend the village but Sakura was unsure of whether or not to trust them.

The group slowly strode out of the shadowed part of the forest, revealing themselves to her. She tightened her fighting stance, prepared for the worst, and Tora mimicked her tension with a low, throaty growl.

When the leader of the unknown group revealed himself, Sakura somehow knew that she should recognize him. He looked so incredibly familiar but she couldn't place where she knew him from for the life of her. His eyes were intense and the weight of his gaze was directed entirely at her. She could tell just from their eye contact that he was a shinobi of great skill and someone who would be far more of a challenge than the broken corpses surrounding her.

His tightly muscled body was hidden beneath layers of warm cloth but Sakura didn't need to see his form to sense the power she could feel from his presence. His chakra was leashed but, with the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through her veins, she could still sense the unbridled power barely concealed behind his careful control.

Her eyes flicked to the equipment strapped to his back, not recognizing the strange looking weapon secured to him and one that was chained to a kama as tall as she was no less.

She felt a thrill run up her spine as she bore the entirety of his focus, something that was not helped by the fact that the man standing before her was incredibly attractive.

Sakura was finally distracted from her thoughts when the shinobi who stood next to the leader of the group emerged from beneath the concealing shadows of the treeline. When the kunoichi's eyes fell upon the newest stranger, she gasped softly.

 _'Sasuke?'_ Sakura thought in disbelief as she stared at the dark haired man, her guard slipping.

No, there was no way that was Sasuke.

While this stranger looked nearly identical to her old teammate, there were slight differences between the two. This man looked older and his hair was much longer, tied back in a ponytail similar to Itachi. He didn't have the menacing stare Sasuke had and he held himself differently, more proudly.

She quickly amended her defensive posture as her eyes flickered between the other members of their party, taking note of the weapons they carried and plotting a strategy should they decide to fight her.

Just as the group of dark haired shinobi stopped a safe distance away, the sound of someone sprinting across the frosted grass met her ears. She glanced to her side and saw Nobu running towards her, his face the picture of panic.

"Lady Sakura!" he yelled from across the field, nearly tripping over the uneven ground created by her strikes in his sprint.

As Nobu approached, distracting the group of heavily armed strangers, Sakura backed up and canted her head towards Tora. She didn't allow the strangers out of her sight, not trusting them in the slightest, as she addressed her companion.

"Are you okay, Tora? Do you need healing?" the kunoichi asked in a low voice.

"It's just a scratch, cub. I'll be fine" the tigress responded, her expression softening at Sakura's concern for her.

The feline's gaze returned to the group of strangers just as Nobu skidded to a stop in front of Sakura. He shot a terrified glance at the massive summon towering above him, taking a half step back, before he looked to the war party of dark haired men and women.

"Thank you for coming, sir and lady Uchihas," he greeted quickly, giving a hurried bow before turning to Sakura.

Sakura nearly sputtered when Nobu said Uchiha, her eyes widening and her mouth popping open as she stared at the group of shinobi with understanding. She quickly schooled her expression, not wanting to so openly display her alarm to the Uchiha. They may be the enemies of the people she had killed to defend the Nakano family but that didn't mean that they were her allies.

She could hardly believe how spectacularly she had messed up. In her blundering, she hadn't just broken the vow she had made to avoid the major clans who would one day found Konoha, she had _annihilated_ it. Along with the fourteen dead Senju strewn across the decimated battlefield.

And now, on top of that extraordinary failure (one that could have such far reaching consequences that she couldn't even consider them at that moment lest she lose her composure), she was standing face to face with a group of Uchiha shinobi.

Sakura gave herself a mental shake, bringing the entirety of her focus back to the situation at hand. She could berate herself for being such an idiot later. For now, she needed to focus if she wanted to live.

If anything, at least their revealed heritage explained why that strange man looked nearly identical to Sasuke...

The kunoichi's eyes snapped back to Nobu as he turned to face her once again.

"Lady Sakura! I need help. It's Akane, she's been injured. Please come," Nobu explained in a hurried tone, his expression betraying his fear.

Sakura shot one last glance towards the Uchiha before she nodded curtly. "Show me."

As Nobu began his run back towards the village, Sakura turned to face Tora. She incrementally canted her head towards the group of Uchiha, silently asking for the tigress to keep an eye on them. Tora nodded in response and Sakura took off after the blond civilian, wiping off her blood-drenched hands on her already gore splattered kimono.

* * *

Madara watched as the mysterious woman he had heard so much about recently ran off with the Nakano.

Sakura was it? A fitting name, certainly. At least in regards to her fascinating coloration and her beauty. He would be hard pressed to believe there was any other comparison that could be made between the fascinating warrior before him and the fragile spring flower.

The Uchiha's eyes drifted away from the retreating kunoichi and scanned the decimated battle field before settling on the enormous tigress lingering nearby.

No wonder every merchant seemed to chatter on about her. She was a force to be reckoned with at the very least. He remained curious about the tales of her medical prowess, however, although he had gotten a glimpse when she removed the swords piercing her abdomen.

Madara briefly wondered if she was a Senju, considering she utilized a technique that was eerily similar to his rivals, but reevaluated the thought as he glanced at the bodies strewn across the field. If she was, she certainly had no alliance with her clan.

He had never met a kunoichi of her caliber before. The women of his family and those of the Senju's were fighters of incredible skill and on par with the men of the clans, certainly. This Sakura, however, was on a completely different level.

To see a woman who was at home on a battlefield as he himself was was… curious.

Madara found himself fascinated by the enigmatic kunoichi and, when his gaze met Izuna's, he saw his interest mirrored there. He tilted his head towards where Sakura and Nobu had run off to, a silent question, and his brother nodded in response.

As they began their trek towards where Sakura and Nobu had been heading, Madara addressed the rest of the strike force. "All of you, remain here and keep an eye out for any enemies that woman may have missed."

"And try not to upset the tiger," Izuna tacked on, the majority of their clan mates giving the massive summon a wary glance as it growled deeply in warning.

The brothers reached a small crowd of people who had gathered at the outer perimeter of the town. At the center of the group, seated on the frosted grass, was the fiery haired guard Akane.

The rouge Uzumaki was hunched over, breathing raggedly, as her hand fluttered over the katana piercing through her chest. Her armor, which signified her place as the guard captain, was torn and stained in blood. She was covered in a variety of small cuts and a splattering of bruises but all those injuries were insignificant in comparison to her mortal wound.

This woman was destined to die and Madara was incredibly curious to see what this strange kunoichi would do.

The elder Uchiha watched as Sakura placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, his sharp gaze observing as the thick black lines which decorated the kunoichi's skin traveled to Akane's. The tattoo like markings snaked across the red head's pale flesh before disappearing beneath her tattered armor.

He watched, fascinated, as the cuts which dotted the guard captain's skin began to seal themselves, steam emerging from the wounds as they closed. The splattering of bruises scattered across her flesh faded away, leaving behind nothing but filthy but undamaged skin.

Steam flowed from around the sword embedded in her chest and Madara watched, shocked, as Sakura reached down and wrenched the weapon from Akane's chest in one smooth motion. The red head hissed in pain, hiding her cry behind clenched teeth.

The Uchiha expected blood to come pouring out of the wound, as was the norm for a critical injury such as this, but was surprised when none came. Instead, the gouge continued to billow steam, the torn edges of the runaway Uzumaki's flesh neatly knitting back together until nothing remained but blood.

The guard rolled her shoulders and touched where the wound had once been with a baffled expression, smearing the fresh blood that remained splashed across her skin. Madara shared in the woman's shock, surprised and impressed that this pink haired kunoichi had healed yet another fatal injury so effortlessly. He had never before seen such a feat except from his rival and, even then, he had never witnessed the Senju extend his healing jutsu to others in such a way.

"How are you feeling?" the mysterious kunoichi asked in a concerned tone, the black tendrils returning to her own flesh as she pulled back her hand.

Akane laughed aloud and grinned at the healer before responding, "Much better, thank you. It appears we all owe you a great debt."

Sakura smiled warmly in response as she helped Akane to her feet. Sakura, having noticed Madara and Izuna's presence, gave them a wary look. The guard, noticing her stare, followed her gaze to the two Uchiha brothers looking on curiously.

Akane briskly nodded in greeting. "Ah, it's you two. I suspect my lady will want to speak with you both."

"I would imagine so," Madara replied smoothly, meeting Sakura's gaze head on.

He suspected that there would be much to talk about with Lady Nozomi in regards to the woman standing before him.

Sakura finally broke her stare as she looked back to Akane, her expression morphing into one of determination. "Are there any more injured?"

Akane frowned before nodding sharply in response. "Yes, let us help them."

* * *

When Madara and Izuna reached the main household where the head of the family resided, Lady Nozomi, as well as one of her attendants, was already waiting for them outside.

The blonde appeared to be worse for wear, adding weight to the rumor that she had fallen ill. Madara suspected that her recent illness was the reasoning behind the Nakano's rival family hiring the Senju to attack Lady Nozomi's holdings. They considered the merchant family to be weakened without the matriarch's guidance.

Apparently they hadn't been expecting the appearance of the kunoichi Sakura or they would have hired more Senjus.

"Greetings, Sir Uchihas," Nozomi greeted with a bow to which the brothers returned, "From what I hear, my summons was unneeded, although some quality landscapers may be in order… I apologize for you both traveling all this way for naught."

"From what we've seen, it's likely that this trip could be fruitful…" the elder Uchiha's eyes pointedly flicked over to where he could see Sakura in the distance, tending to some injured guards. "What can you tell me of Sakura?"

Nozomi nodded. "Of course. Please, come inside. We'll speak privately."

As Nozomi turned and entered the warmth of her house, both Uchiha noticed that the matriarch struggled to walk, her pace slow and her gait weak. Neither sibling commented on her recovery, instead silently following the blonde into the main house. The young servant who waited on the Nakano family leader quietly closed the fusuma behind the shinobi, preserving the heat of the house.

The Uchiha removed their shoes at the entryway and stowed their weapons before further entering the house, passing through open shoji doors until they reached Nozomi's study. As they sat upon cushions which surrounded a low legged table, the attendant lingering outside after a subtle gesture from the Nakano family leader, a noticeably more comfortable Nozomi began speaking.

"As you may have heard, I fell prey to an unknown illness about a few weeks ago. It progressed quickly and became rather severe," the blonde explained, the two Uchiha nodding simply.

"My brother fled the village and traveled out to the merchant cities in search of a doctor. During his search, he came across a few people who sung Lady Sakura's praises, calling her a miracle healer as well as a skilled kunoichi. He located her in the city of Kiso and brought her here and, as I'm sure you can tell by the new renovations and the fact I am speaking to you now, she lives up to her reputation."

"An interesting gamble, bringing an unknown ninja to your village. Especially one with her reputation," Izuna commented with a quirked eyebrow.

Civilians were distrustful of ninja to a fault and willingly inviting one into their holdings was an startling decision.

Nozomi chuckled softly. "Ah, I've been told that Akane was very displeased with that discovery. Along with Nobu leaving in the dead of night to search for a healer after being told to stay. Lady Sakura appears to have earned her respect, however, a feat in and of itself."

"What do you know of her history? Who she is or where she came from? If she hails from a clan? A ninja such as herself isn't created overnight," Madara pressed.

Nozomi's eyebrows furrowed as she thought. "I don't know anything of her past, in all honesty. I only know of her through rumors and the little Nobu has told me."

"And what has your brother told you of her?"

"Nothing to do with her past, unfortunately. Just things such as her incredible strength, her determination while healing, that she is kind… That she can summon cats. The massive tiger sitting on the outskirts of my village validates that tale… And that he located her at a bar, halfway into a bottle of sake." Nozomi frowned. "That's all I know. You may have better luck speaking with Nobu."

Izuna and Madara shared a look. They could have better luck speaking with the matriarch's brother, but they would find answers speaking to Sakura herself.

"Thank you, Lady Nozomi. We'll take our leave now," Madara decided as the two brothers stood.

"About your compensation…" the Nakano family leader began.

"No need to concern yourself. We didn't take part in the battle so there is no compensation necessary. The information you've given us is plenty."

Nozomi frowned uncertainly. "Very well then. Safe travels, sir Uchihas."

"And a swift recovery to you, Lady Nozomi," Madara finished as the two brothers turned and made their way towards the door.

The siblings slipped on their shoes and secured their weapons to their persons before stepping back out into the cold. The silent attendant opened the fusuma for them and closed it behind them. The Uchiha slowly walked the stone path leading away from the main household until they were a far enough distance to converse privately.

Izuna was the first to speak. "What are you thinking?"

Madara's eyes scanned across the villagers before he spotted a head of pink hair a distance away. "I'm thinking that she is a formidable kunoichi who is obviously not aligned with any clan but who we may one day face in combat should she continue to remain unaffiliated. Her battle against the Senju was incidental. If she were called to the village ran by the Nakano's rivals, it very well could have been us she faced."

Izuna nodded thoughtfully.

"I agree. We've heard the rumors about her, but it appears that they've all been based on the truth. I wasn't so certain about the rumor that she destroyed that bridge with her bare hands, but I can see it now…" he commented, both of them glancing over to the destroyed battlefield in the distance and the summoned tiger that still stood guard there.

"But what are we going to do about her? Like you said, if she remains unaffiliated, we could be forced to fight her in the future," the younger Uchiha continued as they paused at the edge of the stone walkway, hidden beneath the still full branches of a pine.

Madara's mind immediately returned to his two family members dying at their village. The two members of his clan who had trusted him with their lives and who he sent on a mission that would have them dead by morning.

"If she's the miracle healer they say, which I'm convinced is true after she healed that guard's undoubtedly fatal wounds as well as her own… She could be an asset to our family."

Izuna's eyes narrowed as he growled, "She's an outsider. We don't even know of her past and you're so willing to allow her into our home?"

"She could be capable of healing Katsumi and Katsurou," Madara shot back, glaring at his brother, before gesturing towards the battlefield, "And look at what she did to protect this village. To protect people she hardly knows. And against the Senju, no less. If she counts our family among her allies, I doubt she would do any less to protect our own home."

The younger Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed as his lips pressed into a thin line. He sighed deeply through his nose, recognizing the sound of determination in his brother's voice.

"Would you rather leave and run the risk of our clan facing her one day? Let our own family die?" Madara continued, eyeing Izuna, "While I doubt she would side with the Senju after this, a client may very well have no need for them with her on their side. It would be better to have her working for us."

Silence reigned for a long moment as the two stared out at the squad of Uchiha lurking on the perimeter of the village.

"You have a point..." Izuna finally grumbled.

"I always have a point. I thought you would have learned this by now," the elder teased, stern faced, drawing a exasperated grin from his younger brother.

"I will conceed that you always have a point. The issue I'm concerned with now is whether or not it is a good one." Izuna shook his head.

"Would you rather face her and that tiger in the field one day? Or perhaps one of our clan mates should in our stead?"

They watched as the summoned tiger in the field yawned widely and as three of the younger Uchiha skirted away defensively. The clan heads both grimaced in embarrassment. Even the gargantuan summon eyeballed the nervous shinobi in a way that appeared disappointed from this distance.

"Ah, a... fairly good point, I see," Izuna sighed, his expression pinched, "You go speak to her then. Perhaps… I should go check on them."

* * *

As Sakura healed the last injured guard, plucking out the kunai embedded in his torso as she did, she heard footsteps behind her. Ignoring the approaching stranger for the moment, she focused on her patient once more.

"Are you feeling any pain?" she asked the man seated on the ground next to her.

He shook his head, shyly smiling up at the medic. "No, I'm fine now. Thank you, Lady Sakura... For everything."

The kunoichi smiled warmly and helped the man to his feet just as the purposefully loud footsteps she heard behind her came to a stop. The guard bowed to her deeply before turning and jogging away, leaving Sakura alone with her new guest.

The kunoichi sighed wearily, finally deactivating the seal on her forehead. She felt as the hum of power faded away, the black tendrils stretching across her skin and the buzzing sensation of chakra both retreating back into her forehead. As she carefully reformed the seal, storing all of the chakra she hadn't used once again, she reevaluated her supply.

Only to be immediately concerned with the paltry amount of chakra she had remaining. All of the months she had spent funneling chakra into her seal had been erased in the span of one battle.

Sakura hadn't wanted to use her seal before it's completion but knew that, with her life in mortal danger, she had had no choice. Even so, she regretted having used it so carelessly.

When one utilized the seal before it was filled to the point where it would be stable, the chakra that was drawn from it would be erratic and the seal would be drained in little time. A battle that would have taken perhaps a hundredth of a stable seal had taken nearly all of her incomplete version.

After drawing upon the seal so much during her battle by summoning Tora and by healing her own fatal wounds, Akane's mortal wound, and then the injuries of a dozen guards, her incomplete seal had been decimated. She knew that if she tried to draw upon her stores once again so soon, she would be drained dry once more.

On the bright side, an additional and quite useful benefit of having used her seal was that her natural chakra levels had been fully replenished. When she worked to once again funnel a small amount of chakra into her seal, an unconscious action that constantly fed her stores, she hardly noticed the draw.

Sakura turned to face the stranger and was surprised to find the leader of the force of Uchiha patiently waiting for her to finish with her patient. His curious gaze lingered on the purple diamond on her forehead for a moment before his eyes flicked down to meet hers.

She greeted him with a hesitant nod. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"I find myself impressed with your display today. Not an easy feat," the man started, further confusing her by his strange greeting.

"Er... Thank you?" Sakura returned with furrowed eyebrows, unsure of how to react in the face of one of the few compliments she'd ever received from an Uchiha.

"I've heard a lot about you in these recent months. You made quite an impression with your battle on Samurai Bridge," the wild haired man continued, drawing an embarrassed cringe from her, "I find myself curious, however, as to why a kunoichi of your skill appeared so suddenly. Where are you from?"

"That's a bit of a forward question, don't you think? Especially from someone whose name I don't even know," she replied cautiously, eyeing the stranger as she perched a hand on her hip.

"My name is Madara Uchiha. I am the current leader of the Uchiha clan," he introduced simply, crossing his arms across his chest.

Sakura's jaw fell in surprise as she recognized the name immediately. The name of the man who she had read of in the history books. The name of the man who would eventually become one of the founders of Konoha. The name of the man who would one day leave the village and battle Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, at the Valley of the End.

No wonder why he had looked so familiar and why she hadn't been able to place him. The only image she had ever seen of him was his statue, erected at the battle site between him and the First.

Her shock must have shown on her face because Madara immediately raised his one visible eyebrow in response. "Have we met before?"

"No. I've just heard of you… One of the more interesting rumors being you can set an entire forest on fire with a single jutsu?" Sakura quickly redirected, trying to change the topic.

"Ah, yes. That... would be me. I suspect that that rumor surfaced after the battle at Biei?"

Sakura easily recalled when she had first discovered how far she had traveled in the past: listening to a couple civilians talk about how an Uchiha had set a forest ablaze following the battle at Biei.

"Yes, actually..." she agreed, "You set an entire forest on fire then?"

The Uchiha nodded before his lips flattened in a way that could almost be construed as embarrassment. "It hadn't necessarily been my intention at the time, but yes."

"That's… Well, hmm," Sakura responded lamely, unsure of how to react.

This time it was Madara who changed the subject. "Now that introductions have been made, would it still be forward to ask of your past? Or your surname?"

"Why do you want to know?" Sakura questioned, leery of his intentions.

"I'm curious about you," he answered easily, "I've never met someone who could single-handedly defeat an entire strike force of Senju and heal fatal wounds so easily."

"My mentor taught me well."

Madara remained silent, waiting for her to continue expectantly. She sighed heavily, reaching up to brush her bangs from her face. "You're a persistent one, you know that?"

"So I've heard."

Sakura was uncertain about sharing her story, even the one she had constructed for herself during her stay here, with the Uchiha leader. She thought back to her vow, the one she had so thoroughly broken when she killed the invading force of Senju, and hoped that her blundering in the past hadn't already altered the future. She hoped that the band of Uchiha would have defeated the Senju anyways and that her influence hadn't altered too much.

She hadn't noticed anyone who appeared to be Hashirama Senju or Tobirama Senju, at least compared to the faces carved into the Hokage monument, in the group of invading shinobi. So, at least she hadn't killed either of the future Hokages. Luckily. Hopefully… More than likely.

And she hadn't ceased to exist yet so she must not have messed up... too badly...

Sakura didn't think she could worm her way out of this one. She was just grateful that she had prepared herself a backstory preemptively, mixing truth and fiction in a way that would be believable. She was glad that her research into her family name had turned up nothing, something that would help her infinitely in this war torn era.

She took a deep breath, her gaze drifting to the ground momentarily and returning to his eyes before she spoke hesitantly.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. The reason you've only heard of me recently is because I'm from… _was_ from a village far to the west. My home… My home was destroyed by a man who thought of himself as a god." Her memories of Pain annihilating Konoha were still fresh and the emotions still raw, her pain coming through in her words and giving them substance. "I believe I was the only survivor although others may have scattered to the winds after the attack. I came out here looking for a better life."

The Uchiha's expression betrayed his surprise. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned as he spoke, "My apologies."

She nodded in response, accepting his apology. She took a steeling breath, struggling to tamp down the flood of emotions that came with the memory of Pain's devastating assault. "Was there anything else you needed?"

There was a long silence as Madara appeared to appraise her, considering something in his mind. Just as Sakura had been about to speak again, he broached, "I was considering offering you a job."

The medic gave him a strange look, her eyebrows coming together in confusion. "A… job?

"Never in my life have I witnessed a healer of your caliber. Two of my kin were badly poisoned during a mission the other day and I was told shortly before I left that they would be dead by morning..."

Immediately, Sakura's inner healer surfaced and urged her to help. Her nature was to help people, to heal people in need. She tamped down the impulsive reaction, reminding herself to be cautious.

She didn't know these people, even if this man would go on to one day help form Konoha. Her face betrayed her struggle but she quickly schooled her features.

"Why should I trust you?" Sakura challenged, her eyes narrowing.

The corner of Madara's lip quirked up, as if satisfied with her distrust. "We share a common foe now. The shinobi you killed belong to a clan which my family has been at war with for centuries. They will undoubtedly come for you after this battle. Your actions today have made you their enemy but could also make you our ally. And we do well to take care of our allies."

Sakura took a moment to consider his words. She had only met two Uchiha's in her life and both experiences had been negative overall. She had nothing to base his claim of his family taking care of their allies.

"And what would I get in return for this alliance?"

"What is it that you would ask?"

The kunoichi considered what she could ask of him, her thoughts rushing to her unfruitful search for knowledge pertaining to space-time ninjutsu. For the past four months, she had uncovered nothing of any value at any of the merchant cities.

She was desperate.

She thought of the book keeper at the bookstore in the merchant city of Kiso and her response when Sakura had asked her about scrolls pertaining to ninjutsu: " _You won't find anything like that here. That's ninja clan business_ ".

And here stood possibly her best chance of finally finding that knowledge and returning home. While he may be an Uchiha, he would also one day go on to build Konoha. He couldn't be that terrible of a person if, under his influence, her home would one day be created.

As long as she was careful to not reveal any information which could alter the future, she… should be alright. How else was she supposed to return home? Her search for knowledge thus far had been spectacularly unsuccessful and her indefinite existence in the past could be more damaging than working with the Uchiha for a short time.

Not only that, but Madara did have a point. With her having killed the strike force of Senju, they would undoubtedly hold a grudge against her. While she believed she could defend herself well, she didn't want more people, especially people from the clan that would have such an integral part of the formation of her home, to die. Or for the civilians in the merchant cities to get caught in the crossfire.

"...Information. I want access to your library," Sakura replied, gauging his reaction to her condition.

The Uchiha raised his eyebrows curiously, apparently having not expected her answer, as he continued to stare into her eyes unflinchingly. "To what end?"

Sakura's sharp mind immediately provided her with her earlier idea that she had had after healing Nozomi. The idea of creating a kind of stasis jutsu to assist with her healing. "I've been researching space-time jutsu to assist in my healing. I want to create a kind of stasis jutsu so my patients won't die while I work. The trade cities I have been staying at have no information about jutsus."

"They _are_ civilian cities," Madara pointed out with an odd look, as if pointing out that the snow was indeed cold.

She shot him a glare which caused the corner of his lip to quirk up in amusement. "So I've gathered…"

"What will it be then? You heal my family members and I allow you access to our library?"

Sakura paused for a long moment, considering. She then nodded and held out her blood stained hand. "Agreed."

To his credit, he unfolded his arms and shook her scarlet-tinged hand without hesitation. Sakura noted that even through his leather gloves, which reminded her of the ones she had stashed away in her scroll, his hands were warm.

"Very well then. We'll leave at once."

"Let me inform Lady Nozomi first. I'll meet you at the edge of the forest," the medic replied.

Madara nodded curtly before beginning his walk to the group of Uchiha gathered on the edge of the village.

* * *

Despite it being so late, the village was still abuzz with activity. The near invasion had energized everybody and Sakura was certain that Nozomi would still be awake.

She removed her shoes and set them on the ground next to the engawa before hopping up. She approached the fusuma which led to the family head's study, circumventing the main entrance into the house, certain that the blonde would be inside. She knocked briskly before calling out, "Nozomi?"

"Come in, Sakura," came the matriach's voice from the other side of the door.

Sakura opened the sliding fusuma and entered the warm study, noting Nozomi sitting at the low table with a plain wooden box perched the tabletop near her. The room was lit by a handful of paper lanterns set in strategic places across the room. The lanterns put off a soft, comforting glow and one that enabled them to see in the darkness.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, as she closed the fusuma behind her to maintain the heat of the room. She remained standing, not wanting to get any blood on Nozomi's nice furniture or the tatami mats.

"Quite well, thank you. Just a bit tired."

"Good. The fatigue should be gone within the next few days. I suggest staying hydrated and resting frequently."

"Thank you, I shall." The blonde's eyes flicked down to the blood staining Sakura's clothes and hands. "Are you in good health as well?"

"Er..." the kunoichi muttered as she glanced down at the bloodied and tattered remnants of her clothes, "It's, uh... It's mostly not my blood."

Nozomi's eyes widened.

"I'm fine though! Promise! I'm a healer, remember?" Sakura tried to console, drawing a sigh of relief from the matriarch.

"You save my life and then threaten it with such a statement... What allies I count as my own," Nozomi huffed, shaking her head.

Sakura rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed laugh.

"Now… It appears we owe you an even greater debt for your help today," the Nakano leader continued, adopting her matriarch demeanor once again.

"Not at all. I'm glad I was here to help. And I, uh… I'm sorry about the damage…" Sakura apologized as she glanced at the floor.

"Nonsense. You defended my village from what would have been a slaughter and saved the lives of Akane and my guards. A bit of landscaping is hardly a price to pay for such gifts," the elder woman explained.

Sakura still grimaced at the word 'landscaping'. They'd need a lot more than just landscaping with the damage her and Tora had done outside. At least she hadn't destroyed any of their houses… Hopefully.

"But, while you're here... There is the matter of your compensation. Here. Your payment for healing me as well as a token of our thanks." The matriarch pushed the wooden box sitting on the table towards Sakura. She gathered up her skirts to keep from staining the tatami mats and approached her. Crouching at the low table to investigate the box, she flipped open the lid.

The medic's jaw nearly dropped at the amount of money within the box. Just glancing at it, it had to be double what she was offered just to heal the merchant family's leader.

"I can't take all this, Nozomi. This is too much…"

Nozomi fixed her with a determined stare and spoke the unwavering voice of a leader, "We all owe you our lives. This is the least we can do."

"But-"

"Please, take it. I can promise you, you're not going to be putting us out on the street. And feel free to stay as long as you want. Our doors will forever be open to you," Nozomi interrupted with a warm smile, folding her hands in her lap regally.

"I… Thank you. That means a lot. I'll be leaving shortly though," Sakura explained as she pulled her storage scroll from her ripped obi and unfurled it to a blank spot. With a few handsigns, she secured the wooden box into the scroll before rolling it up and tucking it back into the stained strip of cloth wrapped around her waist.

The blonde's expression morphed into one of confusion, obviously thrown off by Sakura stating she would be leaving in the dead of night. When she spoke again, the regal tone had disappeared, instead replaced by one of befuddlement. "What? You're leaving? Now? Why?"

"The Uchiha have offered me a job. I'll be leaving with them," Sakura explained, watching as Nozomi's expression immediately morphed into one of alarm.

The Nakano leader quickly schooled her features and spoke before she could comment. "As is your prerogative. Just… take care of yourself."

The kunoichi leveled the blonde with a wary stare, unsure if she should ask what that face had been about. She assumed it was simply because the Uchiha were ninja and left it at that.

"I will… Goodbye, Nozomi. And say goodbye to Nobu and even Akane for me, please."

"Of course. Be safe. And thank you for everything. You're _always_ welcome here," the Nakano family leader replied, her tone warm and a soft smile gracing her expression.

Sakura stood, making sure that her belongings were secured in her blood splattered obi. As she left the main household and slipped on her geta once again, she briefly considered stopping to change her burned, bloodied, and torn clothes. After a moment of thought, she decided against it.

It was apparent that Madara's cousins were gravely ill and that it would behoove her to hurry. Not only that, the squad of Uchiha had watched her crush a man's chest with her bare hand. She doubted they would care that she was coated in a little bit of blood.

* * *

 _A/N: _I have had some absolutely incredible fanart made for this story by some absolutely incredible artists! You can find all of the pieces on my tumblr, "Astroavis", under my "Writer's Nook" tab. They are all so amazing and every artist is a blessing sent from the gods. I'm so lucky and I want you all to see the wonderful work they've made.__

 _Katsurou means "victorious son". Katsumi means "victorious beauty". They're named such because they are brother and sister._


	10. Curiosity

When Sakura approached the area where the group of Uchiha had lingered on the edge of the forest, she found that only two men and Tora remained. As she strode up, she recognized Madara immediately and noticed the other Uchiha who remained was the one who looked nearly identical to Sasuke.

They both nodded in greeting and she returned the gesture.

"Where's the rest of your family?" Sakura asked warily as she came to a stop before them.

"We sent them home. There was no need for them to remain here. It will be just us for the journey to our lands," Madara explained, folding his arms across his chest in a now familiar gesture.

Sakura nodded in understanding before the younger Uchiha spoke.

"My name is Izuna Uchiha. I help lead the clan with my brother. I've heard quite a lot about you recently, kunoichi," he greeted coldly.

Even though Izuna's words were polite, they held an undertone of discontent. She noticed the elder Uchiha glance at the younger with a look that conveyed more than just words.

"It's… just Sakura," she responded, wary of his tone.

"Very well then. We should be off. Will you be taking your…" Izuna's calculating eyes flicked up to land of Tora, " _Summon_ with us?"

"Not her, but another," the medic replied before facing the massive tigress, "Tora, you can go home now. I'll summon Kuro to accompany me."

The tiger glanced at the two Uchiha with knowing eyes before her gaze returned to her summoner.

"As usual then. I'll be awaiting your call…" she replied stoically before a teasing grin emerged and her tone became jovial, "You chose well, selecting me over Hyo for this battle."

"Don't be too hard on him, please. I don't want his feelings to get hurt because I picked you first," Sakura implored, clapping her hands together in a beseeching gesture.

"I make no promises. We have all been very excited to fight alongside a human with such power once again," Tora laughed, grinning in a way that was mostly teeth.

She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Your help is very much appreciated, Tora. Thank you so much for coming," Sakura sincerely thanked, drawing a surprised expression from both the Uchiha brothers and the tigress summon.

Tora's startled expression faded as her grin warmed into something less fierce and more heartfelt. "Of course, cub. It was my honor. I shall be eagerly awaiting our next battle."

"Take care of yourself," the kunoichi returned with a smile, the massive tigress disappearing in a great burst of smoke.

Once Tora disappeared, Sakura ran through the hand signs for another summoning jutsu.

As she dragged her thumb through the still wet blood on her stomach, not finding it necessary to bite her thumb for the jutsu with the viable blood still available, Izuna spoke once again. "Why summon another creature?"

"Kuro won't appreciate being called a creature," Sakura pointed out before leveling both of the Uchiha with a meaningful stare, "And it's my standard procedure when going into the forest with strange men."

The younger Uchiha donned a look of uncomfortable understanding as Sakura pressed her palm to the ground, a much smaller plume of smoke erupting from the summoning jutsu this time.

The sleek panther that appeared from the dispersing smoke silently eyeballed the two Uchiha for a long moment, unwavering in his intense gaze. Both of the men returned his stare with arched eyebrows.

"Why are you with shinobi?" the summon finally drawled, turning his attention back to Sakura.

"I've accepted a job from them. They're the leaders of the Uchiha clan. We'll be heading to their holdings here shortly and I would like you to accompany me," the medic explained briefly.

"As per usual then. We'll speak later about why you summoned Tora. An interesting tale there, I'm sure. Interesting turn of events regarding your guests..." Kuro responded before turning to address the two shinobi, "Sir Uchihas. I greet you."

The brothers glanced at each other before they nodded in greeting, obviously thrown by a summoned creature addressing them so directly.

"We should head out now. Are you capable of an hour sprint in your state?" Madara questioned, his arms unfolding from his chest as he prepared to leave.

"It's not a problem," Sakura responded confidently, knowing that her chakra levels were nearly untouched after being replenished by the use of her seal, unstable as it may have been.

"Alright. Then let's be off."

* * *

As the group ran through the trees towards Uchiha lands, Madara found himself even more curious about the strange kunoichi they had stumbled upon. Even after battling over a dozen trained Senju, healing her own fatal wounds, and bringing a handful of Nakano guards back from death's door, she appeared unphased. She ran along the icy canopy quickly and silently, easily keeping pace with him and Izuna.

He activated the basic level of his sharingan to get a closer look at her and was surprised to find that her chakra levels were nearly full. He knew that there was no way that all she had done that night had put such a negligible dent in her chakra and theorized that her recovered stamina must have something to do with the seal on her forehead.

Even more mystery surrounding the strange woman.

Mysteries such as the summoned panther that had nearly disappeared as they entered the forest. The cat summon ran through the shadows of the trees like a wraith, silent and nearly undetectable. Madara only caught glances of the sleek black creature as it followed Sakura and he was confident that, if he hadn't had his sharingan activated and hadn't honed his sensory abilities so finely, that the summon would be invisible.

The fact that a panther with fur as dark as pitch could sneak so effectively in the patches pristine white snow was impressive. The big cat became even more difficult to spot as the patchy snow made way to the half bare forest surrounding his clan's lands.

Madara wondered how Sakura had signed a contract with creatures such as this panther and the massive tigress. He had never seen cats such as them utilized in combat nor anywhere else and to his knowledge, no one in these lands had a contract with them. So where had she signed it?

She had claimed that she hailed from a village far to the west but he had heard of no such village that bred such formidable warriors. Either she had traveled an incredible distance, farther than any of his clan had traveled and farther than even word could reach, or the village she once called home kept out of the affairs of ninja in this area.

Although it certainly would make sense if she had come from the west since her first appearance in the area, her battle at Samurai Bridge, was west of their current location.

Either way, he would find out.

Madara had yet to come across a problem he couldn't answer, a riddle he couldn't decipher, or a puzzle he couldn't solve. He would uncover Sakura's secrets, learn of her past, and learn about her. Then this irking curiosity would be sated and he could move on.

He sensed one of his scouts on the outskirts of the Uchiha's holdings making their way towards them and flared his chakra. He felt his brother do the same, alerting the scout that they were of the clan. The scout ceased in their trek towards them, returning to their patrol of the perimeter.

The break in the tree line soon came and all three, or rather four, of them dropped down from the canopy and resumed their run to the dimly lit village visible in the distance.

Once they reached the edge of the village, two of the guards which patrolled the area at night gave the group odd stares, their gazes lingering on the pink haired kunoichi and her summoned panther at her side. The group slowed to a walk as they approached, the guards struggling to decide how to react to the stranger being guided onto their lands by the two clan heads.

With a nod from the clan leader and a flash of his sharingan, the two guards relaxed. Although their gazes lingered on the kunoichi and her panther curiously, they resumed their patrol without a word.

Madara glanced down at the burnt, torn, and blood splattered kimono that Sakura wore. While he was certain his family members would be horrified by the battle worn appearance of the kunoichi, in addition to the upset brought on by bringing a stranger into their home, they would have to deal with it. There was little time for trivialities such as making the stranger more presentable for the members of his family who had never seen combat.

"Come with us. We'll take you to them immediately," Madara declared, already turning down one of the rows of houses to where he knew his cousins' home stood.

They walked quickly and with purpose, passing by darkened houses. The only light source was the waning moon and the dim paper lanterns which lit the pathways weaving between the rows of homes, the low light designed to keep the village less visible at night and more hidden from intruders.

When they arrived at the only house still lit from the inside at this time of night, he strode up the steps leading to the engawa which wrapped around the house and briskly knocked on the closed fusuma.

There was a slight shuffling inside before an exhausted, middle aged woman slid open the fusuma. Her face betrayed her surprise at seeing Madara standing on her doorstep this time of night before her gaze flicked over to Izuna and then to Sakura.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously before she hissed, "Who is she?"

"She is a healer that we've hired to help Katsumi and Katsurou," Madara explained briefly, the elder woman shooting him a startled look.

"You brought an outsider here?" she demanded gruffly, flabbergasted.

"To save the lives of two of our clan, yes," Izuna clarified, folding his arms across his chest as he vocalized his support for his brother's decision.

Although his younger brother disagreed with Madara's choice and held the same wariness for outsiders, Izuna wouldn't express this in front of others in their clan. To do so would show discourse between the clan heads and lead to discourse in the clan.

The elder woman seemed to struggle with the decision to allow this stranger into her home, even with the two leaders of the clan backing the stranger. The Uchiha huffed in aggravation before turning and entering the house once more, her long braided ponytail swishing behind her.

The brothers entered the home and Madara gestured for Sakura to follow. Despite her hesitance, she nodded, following their lead and removing her shoes in the entryway. The panther followed closely behind her, eyeing him and Izuna as if to challenge them to say anything.

Sakura quietly closed the fusuma behind them and followed them farther into the warm, dimly lit house. They entered the living room, skirting around the burning fireplace which kept the small home heated, and followed the elder woman deeper into the house. Entering through an open shoji door into one of the three bedrooms in the home, Madara was able to see just how far Katsurou and Katsumi's conditions had deteriorated.

The poisoned warriors were lying in their futons, unconscious. Even in their unaware state, their suffering was still apparent. Their breathing was shallow and rapid and their expressions were contorted in pain. Beads of sweat clung to their overly pale skin which contrasted sharply with the blotchy redness of their foreheads and cheeks.

As Madara and Izuna took a spot against the wall to observe and to guard, the Uchiha clan leader was able to watch as Sakura's expression morphed from apprehension to determination in an instant upon seeing her patients.

The elder woman and a young boy with long shaggy hair, no older than ten, had been speaking in hushed tones but openly glared at Sakura as she entered. Their harsh stares only magnified as Sakura strode forward to kneel at the sides of Katsurou and Katsumi without prompting.

Their stares immediately morphed into shock and they started to their feet as the summoned panther prowled in behind Sakura and took a seat on the far end of the room, watching them all with keen eyes.

"My name is Sakura. I'm sorry for intruding in your home but I'm here to help. May I have your names and the names of these two?" Sakura asked kindly as her hands glowed green, apparently running some kind of diagnostic on her patients.

The two non-shinobi Uchiha immediately turned to look at Madara and Izuna, searching for some kind of guidance. Both him and his brother nodded, silently communicating for them to trust Sakura or rather to trust that they wouldn't allow her to hurt any of them.

"My name is Eiko. These are my children. Katsurou and Katsumi." The elder woman gestured to the unconscious man and woman before placing her hand on the young boy's shoulder, "And my youngest Katsuo."

"Thank you, Eiko, Katsuo. I could use your help during this procedure, if you're willing," Sakura returned, now performing her diagnostic on Madara's other cousin.

"What do you need?" Eiko questioned cautiously, slowly relaxing despite the presence of the stranger and the panther in her home.

"Four basins. Two filled with clean water and the others empty. I'll need you to refill the basins of water as we go and empty the ones I will fill. Please hurry," Sakura explained quickly, her calculating eyes flicking between both the unconscious shinobi.

Eiko's gaze shot to Madara and Izuna once again and this time it was Izuna who canted his head to the side, silently instructing their clanmate to listen to the healer they had brought. Eiko lingered uncertainly for a moment before striding into another part of the house, taking Katsuo with her, where running water soon sounded.

This time, Sakura addressed both Madara and Izuna. "The poisoning is very far along and I'll have to use an emergency technique. I want to warn you now that it will be very painful for them and is very dangerous if they move. I'll need you to hold them down."

The brothers both shared an uncertain look before Madara spoke, "Will they live if the poisoning is so far progressed?"

Sakura nodded immediately with a determined expression. "If I have anything to say about it, yes."

The clan heads both stood and knelt at opposite sides of the son, Katsurou. Sakura peeled back the blanket covering him, revealing his bare chest, coated in a sheen of sweat and rising and falling with his irregular breathing. Madara knelt at Katsurou's head, holding down his shoulders as Izuna knelt at his waist to hold down his legs.

When Eiko and Katsuo entered the room once again and saw what was happening, their expressions morphed into shock. Madara shot them a pointed look before sharply tilting his head towards Sakura.

The brothers trusted Sakura, at least enough to do her job, and their clan members needed to trust Madara and Izuna's judgement as their leaders. Despite their apprehension, Eiko and Katsuo set the basins down on either side of the medic and knelt down next to her.

"Eiko, Katsuo? Don't be alarmed and remember what I asked. This is going to help them, I promise you, no matter how scary it looks. I'm going to start now," Sakura explained in a soft voice as she gathered a sphere of water in her hand with chakra.

"Please keep him still," she requested before forcing the water into Katsurou's chest, through his skin.

All those in the room besides Sakura were startled by the sudden scream that erupted from Katsurou. Eiko and Katsuo fell over in shock, their expressions morphing into ones of horror at the agonized yells of their son and brother. Madara and Izuna both rapidly adjusted their hold on their now writhing clan mate, the basic levels of their sharingan activating instinctively.

Madara watched as Sakura used her free hand to remove the now blackened ball of water from Katsurou's stomach. She deposited the poisoned water into the empty basin before gathering a clean ball of water into her hand once again.

She was removing the poison then.

During the brief interlude, Katsurou's eyes met Madara's. He panted from the agony of the poison as well as the treatment but his gaze displayed betrayal.

"Why are you helping her kill me?" he gasped through his ragged breaths, delirious.

"She's removing the poison, Katsurou. She's healing you. We would never allow anyone to harm you," Madara explained even as he kept his hands firmly on his clan mate's shoulders.

"It will be over soon," Izuna added, adjusting his grip on Katsurou's thighs.

Katsurou's expression betrayed his uncertainty as he glanced between the clan heads and then looked to his mother and young brother. The two nodded in support, having seen the poisoned water being removed from him with their own eyes.

Sakura pressed the clean ball of water into Katsurou's chest and the screaming began again. She did this three more times before Katsuo went to empty the now full basin of tainted water and refill the empty basin with clean water. Eiko moved the fresh containers towards Sakura and she continued the process two more times.

When the water came back as clear as it had gone in, instead of reaching for more water, the medic's hands glowed green. She set her palms against Katsurou's chest, running her diagnostic again, and was apparently satisfied with what she found.

"Okay, he's done. You can release him," Sakura stated, already turning to face her other patient.

When Madara and his brother released Katsurou, he immediately rolled onto his side with a groan, trembling from the pain. As he curled up into the fetal position, clutching his chest, Madara gripped his shoulder in silent comfort.

"Katsumi?" Sakura asked, addressing Madara's already conscious cousin, more than likely awakened by the screaming.

Even through her harsh, uneven breaths, her expression was one of bravery. She nodded resolutely, already understanding what was to happen to her.

"I'm ready," Katsumi whispered, her ragged voice almost too low to hear.

The brothers moved to hold down the injured Uchiha as Sakura pulled down the blanket covering her bare chest, the woman's breasts wrapped in bandages. The medic gathered another sphere of water into her hands, letting Katsumi take a steeling breath before she began her treatment.

When Sakura plunged the water through Katsumi's skin and into her chest, the Uchiha let loose a ragged breath through her clenched teeth. During the next round, she cried out in pain.

As Sakura continued her work, Madara's gaze drifted to Katsurou. Despite being unconscious once again, his breathing was now unlabored and there was a healthy glow to his skin. With his sharingan, Madara could see how his clan mate's chakra had settled and now flowed through his body fluidly, as it should.

Satisfied that Sakura truly was healing his family members, although he doubted she would be stupid enough to torture one of his own in their own holdings with him and his brother before her, his gaze turned to Sakura's steadfast face.

She was determined when healing, even when surrounded by potential foes. Her focus was unwavering even with his eyes on her, the entirety of her attention on her patient as she performed her technique. Not only that, she was confident in her skills, something that only came from years of practice.

More pieces to the puzzle that was Sakura.

Once finished, the medic pulled back and wiped her brow with the back of her hand. Her hands glowed green once again as she performed a diagnostic on Katsumi, also pleased with her prognosis.

Madara noted that the sun was now rising, a gentle, cool light drifting in from the ranma lining the ceiling, and felt a sense of satisfaction that his clan mates had lived until morning. Despite having sent them on the mission that had nearly gotten them killed and being told that they wouldn't survive until morning, he had been able to bring back a healer that had saved their lives.

Sakura could be very useful.

When the medic finally spoke, it was oddly jarring. After hearing nothing but pained screams and cries of agony for over an hour, her soft voice was out of place.

"When Katsurou and Katsumi wake up, they should be fine. Their bodies have been under tremendous strain from fighting off the poison so it will take a couple weeks for them to recover fully." Sakura turned to address Eiko directly. "Just make sure they are well hydrated, eat at least small amounts, and that they get plenty of rest for the next couple of days."

Eiko, stunned by the miraculous recovery of her children, nodded silently in response. Her and Katsuo quickly stood to tend to their children and siblings as Sakura, her summon, Madara, and Izuna moved to leave.

"Lady Sakura," Eiko called out suddenly, surprising everyone with her use of an honorific.

Sakura turned to face the elder woman with a curious look on her face. Eiko looked her directly in the eyes, her expression betraying that she was fighting some inner turmoil, before saying, "Thank you."

Sakura smiled softly, nodding in response. "You're very welcome."

Sakura and Kuro passed between the two clan heads as they made their way to the entryway so the kunoichi could don her geta once again.

Madara and Izuna shared a look before following. The elder Uchiha slyly activated his sharingan to inspect her chakra levels and was once again surprised to find that there was barely a dent in her reserves. Despite her summoning her panther, the hour long sprint, and spending over an hour removing the poisons from his cousins, her chakra levels were nearly full.

Sakura was... efficient as well then.

* * *

 _A/N: Eiko means "long lived child". Katsuo (the name of the younger brother) means "victorious child". Katsurou (the elder brother) means "victorious son". Katsumi (the sister) means "victorious beauty". Eiko has a theme going. And a theme that is very much related to the victory she had today with the lives of her son and daughter being saved._


	11. The Deal

_A/N: A juban is like underclothes for a kimono or yukata. A komon kimono is basically a casual silk kimono with some sort of pattern on it._ _Nemaki are a kind of yukata used as pajamas or nightgowns and is usually made out of a light weight cotton._

* * *

Sakura was surprised to find that the sun was rising as she stepped out of the warm home and into the freezing morning air. It was too early for people to be out and about but she could hear some people moving about in their homes, preparing for their day.

Her heart still raced in her chest even though she had succeeded in maintaining a calm and professional demeanor. When Madara had told her that his cousins Katsuo and Katsumi had been poisoned, Sakura had hoped she wouldn't need to use the incredibly dangerous Poison Extraction Technique. Not only because it was such an agonizing and crude technique but because it was rarely a cure-all jutsu.

Sakura prayed that her patients had the strength to fully recover from the scant amounts of poison that still lingered in their bodies.

Normally, she would use the technique to buy herself time. She could use the poison that she had extracted to craft an antidote that would cure the patient entirely. Without a proper lab set up and the plethora of herbs and materials she needed, however, she had no way of creating an antidote.

She was grateful that her patients had been inoculated with a poison that had been easily broken down, even if it had been deadly and fast acting. Not only had she been able to remove the vast majority of the poison but she had also been able to repair the damage that the substance had done to the viscera and soft tissues of the Uchihas.

The poison had been nowhere near as deadly and potent as the poison that Sasori of the Red Sand had injected Kankuro with. A fact that very well could have saved Sakura's life that night. She had no idea who these Uchiha men were and had no way of telling how they would have reacted had she failed.

The last thing Sakura had wanted was to have to fight her way out of the Uchiha clan compound while simultaneously trying not to hurt the future founder of her village.

The medic gazed out at the slowly brightening sky, the horizon transforming into a deep purple that chased away the dark sky, as Kuro came to silently stand at her side.

She wanted to go to their library immediately, to have the Uchiha fulfill their end of the bargain and for her to be brought closer to finding her way home. As she turned to face the two Uchiha brothers, however, she could feel the scratchiness of her eyes, the aching in her muscles, and the dull burn from her overworked chakra pathways.

Sakura was exhausted.

She had only gotten a couple hours of sleep following the intensive and lengthy operation to save Nozomi's life. A brief rest that was immediately interrupted by an assault from the Senju where she had to fight for her life and where she had completely drained her seal. A battle which she got no rest afterwards, the medic having spent the rest of the night healing the guards, sprinting to the Uchiha's holdings, and then performing the incredibly delicate and stressful Poison Extraction Jutsu on not one but two patients.

She felt like she was going to drop dead. More than anything, she desperately needed to rest.

Madara and Izuna followed her out of the home, closing the door behind them. The two brothers shared a meaningful look, communicating silently in a way that only came from years of living with one another.

The younger Uchiha sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose, before briskly nodding at Sakura in farewell and disappearing without a word.

It was Madara who actually addressed her. "You've fulfilled your end of the bargain and we intend to fulfill ours. However, we would like to offer you a place to recover and ask for time to inform the rest of the clan of your presence."

Sakura's knee jerk reaction was to object and demand to be taken to their library immediately, her distrust for strangers a trait that had served her well during her time in the past. With her exhaustion quickly wearing at what little energy she had left, however, she was grateful for the offer to rest.

Further than that, she understood Madara's logic. Even with a guide, she suspected that her sudden presence would be treated with hostility by the uninformed members of his family. She had been plucked off of a battlefield and spirited into their compound in the dead of night after all. She didn't doubt that, if she ran into trouble, her declaration that she had been invited here by the clan heads would fall on deaf ears.

"I understand."

"Come with me," he replied, beginning his walk towards some unknown destination.

A long silence stretched between them, the only sounds being their soft footsteps and the tinkling sound of the chain connecting his weapons. Kuro meaningfully placed himself between her and the Uchiha, walking between them. While the panther's eyes remained forward, the kunoichi could tell by his posture that the entirety of his attention was focused on the wild haired man beside them.

"I didn't think that ninja clans would have guest quarters," Sakura commented offhandedly, breaking the silence as she looked up at the taller man beside her.

"We don't. Guests..." Madara glanced at her from the corner of his one visible eye. "Generally aren't allowed."

"Oh, uh… Am I, er… _Staying..._ with someone?" she asked with a wince, concerned that she would have to share a house with some strangers. She briefly wondered if she would be staying with the brothers, based on Izuna's dissatisfied reaction earlier.

"No. There is an unoccupied home that should serve fine as temporary guest quarters," he answered, dissolving her concerns yet raising more questions.

"An unoccupied house?" Sakura parroted in confusion as they turned down a pathway that lead to another row of houses, these ones set far apart from one another.

She noticed that a number of the homes they passed now appeared to be unoccupied, the amado all shut tight making the houses appear to be more like wooden shacks than homes. Other, occupied houses had flowing gardens and one even had a perfectly maintained koi pond.

He gestured towards a house at the far edge of the Uchiha holdings, the amado closed tight and weeds starting to reach upwards towards engawa. As they came to a stop in front of it, Sakura noted that it stood far apart from the other homes, nearly hidden away behind a grove of plum trees with bare branches.

"The woman who once lived here died during the battle at Biei. It should still contain basic supplies and have running water," Madara explained, stepping forward to open the amado and revealing the engawa within.

"I appreciate your hospitality," Sakura thanked as Kuro immediately prowled into the home on silent feet, intent on searching for traps.

"I will send someone over in the afternoon to take you to the main house. Once we've spoken, they'll take you to the library."

"Alright. I'll speak to you then."

The clan head nodded once before turning to leave. She watched him walk away, silently amazed by the fact that he would one day go on to be one of the founders of her village. She hadn't seen him in combat but knew from the stories she had read of him that he would become one of the strongest shinobi in history, if he wasn't already.

Sakura wondered what he was like now, during this time. Was he already overcome by the hatred that would one day lead to his betrayal of the village, the hatred that seemed to fester in every Uchiha? Was this arrangement they had made a farce? Would he one day betray her, as Sasuke had?

Could she trust them?

Sakura gave herself a mental shake and turned to enter the house just in time to miss Madara turn to look at her from over his shoulder.

* * *

Sakura's temporary home, thankfully lit by the rising sun drifting in through the ranma, was surprisingly large, considering only one woman had lived here.

Sakura removed her shoes in the entryway, tucking them into a small shoe rack in the corner of the lowered receiving area. She entered into the small tatami room, the rice straw padding soft against her sore feet, and made a note of a low table surrounded by cushions sitting in the center of the room. She took a moment to appreciate the stunning painting of two tigers which hung in her living room.

If the kunoichi hadn't spend so much time honing her sensory skills, she doubted she would have noticed the appearance of two cloaked chakra signatures on the roof. While they didn't appear malicious, they didn't appear to be leaving anytime soon either.

She shared a glance with Kuro and they both came to the same silent conclusion that the two new visitors were guards sent to keep an eye on her. As long as they stayed outside and their watch didn't turn into Jiraiya's form of spying, she found no reason to be bothered by them.

Sakura opened various fusuma and shoji and explored the house, learning the layout.

When the slid open the first fusuma, opening up the other half of the main room, she was greeted with a kitchen. A fireplace took up the majority of the new area, the sunken hearth occupying the center of the room. A long counter dominated an entire wall, dead ending into an empty ice box and an equally empty pantry.

A small sink sat at one end of the counter, which she briefly used to try to scrub off some of the filth from her hands. Afterwards, she opened a few drawers and noticed they were still stocked with eating utensils, tucked away and untouched by the dust that coated every surface.

Sakura continued her exploration and found the washroom next. She was thrilled to discover that it not only had a toilet, hidden away in it's own separate room (thank the gods she had missed the outdoor toilet age by a hair), but a sunken shower as well. She noted that she should clean the stool that sat on the floor of the shower before she bathed, a task she was far too exhausted to consider now.

The final room was another tatami room, bare of furniture, that appeared to have served as a bedroom. She opened a closet within and was happy to find a few futons neatly folded within. As she reached out to grasp one of the comfortable looking futons, paired with a cozy comforter for winter months, her gaze dropped down to her still crimson tinged hands.

Her eyes slipped further down her body to take in her dirty and gore stained clothes before she pouted at the soft futons in the closet. Closing the door with a sigh, she resigned herself to her bedroll. She had no energy the take a shower but didn't want to insult her hosts by ruining a futon with her filthy form.

Sakura sighed as she removed her storage scroll and kunai from her torn obi, unrolling the scroll on the floor to remove the bedroll she used when sleeping in the wilderness. As she unfurled the bedroll, Kuro, who had been on her tail as she explored the house, sat on the mats beside her.

"You can go home now, Kuro. I'll be fine. I really appreciate you coming with me today," Sakura stated as she pulled back the blanket to her bedroll, not bothering with removing her stained clothes in her exhausted state.

"I shall not abandon you in your most defenseless state in an unknown village surrounded by unknown shinobi. You rest and I'll keep watch," Kuro declared in a tone that brokered no argument as she knelt onto her bedroll.

"You don't have to do that…" Sakura replied softly, touched by his offer.

"I do. You're a part of my pride now. That means we protect each other," Kuro asserted as Sakura fell into her blankets.

Sakura smiled brightly in response, touched by Kuro's declaration. She struggled for years to find her place in Konoha and after only one month in the past, she had been accepted into a family that valued and respected her.

"Thank you," she thanked, her voice thick with emotion, as she pulled her blanket over her, already feeling her eyelids grow heavier.

Kuro blinked slowly as he began grooming his paws, the stoic summon obviously trying to diffuse the emotional tension. "Think nothing of it. Rest for now."

Sakura fell into a blissfully restful sleep not even a few breaths later.

* * *

When Sakura finally woke up, the sun was shining brightly. While the house was dark as she hadn't opened the amado, sunlight still drifted in through the ranma that lined the ceiling.

She sat up slowly and stretched, her spine cracking in several places as she did. She let out a deep yawn and turned to face Kuro who remained in the same spot he had been when she had fallen asleep. Despite her having slept for what felt like a full night's sleep, the summoned panther hadn't let up on his watch.

"Good morning," she greeted in the middle of her yawn.

"It is the afternoon, but yes, good morning," Kuro replied, standing and stretching out as well.

"You should go home and rest," Sakura stated as she noticed how tired Kuro appeared as well, "You've been in this world for a while now..."

"Very well. No one but your shadows have approached and neither bear ill will. But you will summon me once again when you rest tonight. If you do not, I will have you summoned to my world as a precaution," Kuro warned, giving Sakura a stern look.

Sakura nodded in response, a sleepy smile still gracing her face. "I will. And thank you again."

"As I said, think nothing of it. I will see you at nightfall," Kuro responded before dispelling himself. The puff of smoke quickly dispersed, even when contained in the enclosed space of the bedroom.

Sakura pulled back the blanket of her bedroll, her gaze falling upon her torn and stained kimono. Her eyes flicked across the reddish brownish splash of color across her front, her thoughts returning to when she got ran through with not one but two katana. A horrified shiver ran down her spine at the memory of the pain.

She really needed to stop getting stabbed in the stomach...

Shaking her head to disperse thoughts of old, agonizing wounds, Sakura decided that now would be the perfect time to utilize the shower she had seen earlier that day. She smelled like a slaughterhouse and dried blood still lingered beneath her fingernails. She knew that some gore had crusted in her tangled hair and her body was covered in a sheen of dirt and dust from upheaving the earth during her fight.

The medic grimaced when she belatedly realized that she must have painted a terrifying picture for the family she had helped last night... A suspicion only substantiated when she caught sight of herself in the mirror in her temporary bathroom and realized she looked like a creature from someone's nightmares.

Sakura gathered her toiletries, a fresh, thick cotton juban, a clean pair of undergarments, and a deep, forest green komon kimono, paired with a cream colored obi, from her storage scroll. She stripped off her stained komon kimono and the juban beneath, neither article of clothing even suitable for bandages. Even the strips of cloth she used to bind her breasts were tainted by dried blood and joined the growing pile of cloth in the corner of her cramped washroom. Even her panties hadn't survived...

Sakura wasted no time in taking her much needed shower and was elated to find that this place not only had running water but hot running water as well.

When she returned from bathing, she stored her bedroll in her storage scroll once again. She tucked the precious scroll, as well as her seldom used kunai, into her obi before making her way to the entryway of the home to slip on her socks and geta.

She had been told to expect someone to come fetch her in the afternoon but wondered if she had missed her guide when she bathed. She decided that if she was ahead of time for her guide, and not wanting to wait around in the empty house for them to appear, that the guards assigned to shadow her may be willing to take her instead.

"Excuse me? Hello? Guard? Could you take me to see the clan heads?" Sakura asked the chakra signature directly above her, perched on the roof above her.

Silence reigned for a long moment before a muffled sigh sounded from above her. She noticed that the chakra signature moved until it stood on the other side of the fusuma leading into her home.

"Your guide should be here soon. Perhaps you should wait for them?" Came an annoyed, male voice from outside the fusuma.

Sakura opened the sliding door, wanting to speak to her guard face to face. A frowning, and almost embarrassed looking, man stood at the door, his arms crossed in a way that every Uchiha seemed to be fond of.

"Would it be too much trouble for you to take me? I don't want-" _to wait around in this empty house all day when the key to returning to my timeline is nearby_ "-to keep them waiting. And you're supposed to keep an eye on me anyways, aren't you?"

The dark haired man was silent for a long moment, considering his words, before he sighed deeply once again in a way that reminded Sakura of Shikamaru. "Fine. Come on then."

* * *

The walk to the main house was peppered with curious and sometimes malicious stares from the various Uchiha tending to their duties around their village. One young boy, possibly no older than four, stared at Sakura in wonder before nearly being dragged into a home by an irate looking woman.

Sakura didn't take it personally. She knew that she was an outsider and, despite everyone apparently being aware of her presence now, they didn't trust her. Not that it truly mattered. Once Sakura got a good look at the library and, hopefully, found something of merit in regards to her search, she would return to her timeline.

How these people felt about her wouldn't even be a footnote in the annals of history. Her existence here shouldn't even leave a footnote.

As she was lead by the silent guard, the kunoichi took the opportunity to investigate her surroundings. The village was mostly comprised of houses with various facilities peppered throughout. She spotted a butcher, gutting a freshly killed boar hanging on a stand in their yard. She noticed training grounds in the distance with a couple people around her age sparring. She even noticed steam rising up from an onsen and felt a hint of longing for a hot bath.

The house they approached was undoubtedly the largest. The fusuma and shoji doors were all closed to ward off the winter chill. Despite the snow having not yet reached this place, the air was cold enough that snow was a possibility yet.

The guard lead Sakura into the entryway where they removed their shoes before they entered the home. As they walked through the entry way, Sakura's attention was drawn to a massive painting hanging in the receiving room.

The painting consisted of a mythical looking woman sitting in the center, wearing what appeared to be armor made of fire and holding the sun. Two otherworldly looking men sat on either side of her. One of the men was dressed in ebony armor and held the moon while the other was wearing lapis lazuli armor and held an orb of raging waves within his hands.

Sakura wished she could take a closer look at the intricate and undoubtedly meaningful painting but instead trailed behind the guard, attempting to absorb as much as she could of the head household as she went.

Her observations were limited as all the fusuma and shoji doors in the vast home were closed. All that she had been able to see was the numerous paintings and weapons on display in the winding hallways they traveled through. She noticed that most of the paintings somehow involved the Uchiha clan crest but her curiosity was perked by what appeared to be a kanabo hanging on the wall.

The nearly four foot long bludgeon was a surprise to find on display in the Uchiha clan head household. She knew there was a story behind the obviously well used weapon and very much wanted to ask what it was. She kept her questions to herself, however, knowing her unwilling guide would be less than appreciative at being reduced even further to a tour guide.

The two turned down one last hallway before her guide stopped next to a closed shoji door. The Uchiha lightly knocked on it a couple times before a deep voice called out from within. "Let her in."

The guard remained posted next to the shoji door but tilted his head towards the door, gesturing for Sakura to enter. She slid open the door and stepped into the comfortably warm room before shutting the shoji door behind her.

She spotted Madara sitting at a low table, a variety of scrolls neatly spread out before him, in what appeared to be a kind of study. She noticed a variety of paintings and weapons, true to the form of the rest of the house, displayed on the walls. One wall was completely dominated by book cases which were filled to the brim with carefully organized books and scrolls. She caught sight of a glass case on one of the shelves, a large scroll contained within, and briefly wondered what made the scroll so important.

Turning her attention to the Uchiha himself, Sakura noted that he looked much different dressed in casual clothes instead of the armor she had seen him in the previous day. She very nearly stared, surprised by his sudden change of clothes and demeanor into this relaxed state.

"No summoned cats today?" Madara greeted with an arched brow.

"They come and go. No brother today?" Sakura responded, lingering by the door.

"He comes and goes," he returned smartly with a smirk, beckoning her forward.

She smiled in response to his comment before moving to sit on one of the cushions surrounding the table he sat at. "So… About that library..."

"You will be allowed into our coveted library soon enough. But first, I have a proposition for you."

Her eyes narrowed fractionally in suspicion at that. "Does this proposition still end up with me sitting in that library?

"It will lead to unlimited access to not only the library but to all the other facilities in our village."

Sakura immediately thought of the onsen she had spied while walking here and found herself curious as to what this proposition could entail. "Okay. I'm listening."

"My brother and I are offering you a position as the clan's healer," Madara explained simply, drawing a startled expression from Sakura.

During the few seconds it took for Sakura to fully absorb what Madara had said, her surprise quickly morphed into apprehension. "Why would you want me here? I thought clans were wary of outsiders?"

"We are no exception," he responded truthfully, "We offer you this position out of mutual beneficence. You stay and heal those who are injured and would otherwise die without your assistance and we offer you our protection and unlimited access to our library, among other things."

Sakura struggled internally with the thought of becoming the designated healer for the Uchiha clan. The vow she had made when she first arrived in the past to avoid the two major clans who would one day form Konoha had been thoroughly trounced. Not only did she accept a job from the Uchiha to heal two mortally poisoned shinobi but she had, far more notably, killed fourteen Senju with her own hands.

She had tried to alter her vow to avoid revealing any information which may affect the future and wondered whether becoming the healer for the Uchiha, and undoubtedly utilizing techniques that didn't exist during this time, would... _drastically_ affect the future.

She also pondered her current situation. She knew that she certainly wouldn't be given unlimited access to their library with their current arrangement. If anything, she expected she would get a day or two before being told to leave.

With this deal, however, she could get all the time she needed for her research. It may be the only chance she would get to thoroughly search their library for some clue on how to return to her timeline.

"And how would this arrangement work, if I were to say yes?" Sakura questioned curiously, one eyebrow raised.

"The finer details would need to be discussed. The gist of it would be that you would be given the home you are in now which would also function as a clinic. People who require attention will either come to you of their own volition or be brought in. You may be called upon to join war parties on occasion as our combat medic, if you find yourself able."

Sakura's expression betrayed her instinctively rising to the challenge at his words and she nearly missed the slight quirk of the corner of Madara's lip before he continued, "In exchange, you will be provided with a sum of money to cover living expenses and more, protection from those who may hold a grudge against you, namely the Senju, and unlimited access to our library and any other facility in our settlement."

Sakura thought over the offer for a few moments, already coming up with a list of questions in regards to the position.

"And what if I want to leave the settlement? Pursue more leads on jutsu elsewhere?"

"Then you may do so for a short amount of time and preferably with one of my clan mates so you may return without impedance. Although you will find no greater repertoire of jutsu than here. The Senju more than likely have the second best library but, considering what has happened, they would sooner kill you than allow you near it," the clan head informed bluntly.

"And what if I decide I don't like our deal anymore and want to leave for good?" Sakura continued, staring at him pointedly.

Madara frowned as he watched her for a moment, discerning something in her expression. His eyebrows furrowed as he apparently saw something there.

"If what you're asking is if this deal will render you as property of the clan, then no," he explained in an almost offended manner, "Should you decide that our arrangement is no longer beneficial to you, then you may leave. Although we will decide upon an amount of time you must stay so we can both get some use from the arrangement."

"What would be my place in your clan then? Will this arrangement make me some kind of servant?" the kunoichi asked forwardly since the Uchiha had already discerned the undertone of her inquiries.

"You will be an asset and thus treated with the same respect as any other member of my clan. While many will be wary of you at first, I doubt it will take long to gain their trust, considering your specialty."

There was a long moment of silence as Sakura considered his words and his offer. Madara spoke of trust and respect but she still had two Uchiha posted at her home to stealthily keep an eye on her.

"And how long will my shadows stick around?" she questioned, canting her head towards the guard she had outed who had guided her here and who still lingered outside the shoji door.

The corner of Madara's lip quirked up and he gave her a look that could almost be construed as impressed. He answered honestly, not bothering to lie about her guards, "As long as it takes for Izuna and I to be able to trust you unaccompanied around our family."

Sakura considered her options.

She could reject the offer and be given possibly a week in their library for her research, not nearly enough time to search through their undoubtedly massive stock. While she could glean some useful information, it is possible she would never get a chance to visit their library again without taking another kind of job from the clan heads, something that was undoubtedly a rare occurrence.

She certainly would never be allowed into the Senju's library considering what had happened...

Or she could accept and be given unlimited access to the Uchiha library and all the time she needed to find clues on returning home. While her continued interactions with the Uchiha could lead to some alteration of the timeline, her indefinite existence in the past and the inevitable future conflicts with the Senju would certainly alter the future drastically.

Gods forbid she was one day forced to fight the future First or Second Hokages if she returned to her job as a healer and mercenary in the civilian cities. Either she would die or she would be forced to cripple or kill a vital figure in the formation of her future.

Without a doubt, the missing pieces she needed to return home could only be found in the Uchiha's library and a week would not be enough time to find them.

And even if she did choose to take this job, it wouldn't matter how long she agreed to stay. Once she found out how to return home, nothing would stop her from leaving this timeline.

Her decision made, Sakura spoke. "While I agree we'll need to sort out the finer details… Consider this my _conditional_ acceptance."

Madara nodded simply in response before replying, "Very well then. My brother should return tomorrow. We'll draft a contract to our liking then. For now, consider the house yours. And expect some of my clan to approach you for treatment tomorrow."

"Okay. We'll talk again tomorrow then."

"Until then," he replied before returning to the scrolls neatly laid out across the table.

Sakura stood and turned to leave. She had already opened the shoji door when he spoke once again.

"And Sakura?" the Uchiha asked, his gaze still lingering on the scroll he held in his hands.

"Yes?"

Madara's eyes flicked up to hers and he openly smirked at her from beneath his long bangs. "The only stipulation my brother and I agreed on in regards to the training fields is that you don't do to them what you did to the Nakano's holdings."

Sakura's eyebrows shot up and she immediately flushed in embarrassment, a hot blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pursed her lips as her embarrassment quickly turned into frustration. His smirk only widened, somehow satisfied with her response.

She huffed softly and left without another word.

* * *

The guard guided her back to her home, maintaining his silent act despite having undoubtedly heard the conversation between Sakura and Madara about her new position as clan healer.

When they arrived, the Uchiha parted without another word. Sakura took a long hard look at her new… clinic-home… and decided that if she was to live there that the state it was currently in was unacceptable. Especially if she was going to be treating patients here.

After slipping off her geta and tucking them into her shoe rack, she immediately went about opening all the amado and fusuma in her house so it could air out while she cleaned. Despite feeling oddly exposed in the winter chill that now blew through the house unhindered and under the confused, sometimes aggressive, stares from Uchiha that ventured nearby, she wanted to be thorough.

After hanging up her futons to air out on a line in the overgrown yard, Sakura was able to find a stash of cleaning supplies tucked away. She rolled up the sleeves of her kimono as she had no other clothes to change into besides summer yukatas, komon kimonos, and her nemaki and immediately set to work.

In between wiping the dust off of every surface of the house, scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom, shaking out the tatami mats, cleaning the cooking grate in the hearth, washing all of the cooking utensils, and sweeping and mopping the floors, the process took three solid hours. By the time she was done, the chill of the air felt pleasant against her heated skin.

As Sakura began closing the fusuma and shoji doors to try to preserve what little heat remained in the house, she heard uneven footsteps approaching her.

Turning to face her new guest, she was surprised to see a young woman, not much older than herself, with striking blue eyes limping towards her.

The woman carried two cloth bags loaded with goods and she winced almost imperceptibly every time her right foot touched the ground. She smiled politely at Sakura when they made eye contact and came to a stop near her, below the engawa.

"Good afternoon… Sakura, is it?" the ebony haired woman asked in a soft voice that reminded Sakura of Hinata.

Forcing down her sadness at being reminded of her friend far in the future, Sakura replied, "That's me. Good afternoon."

"My name is Hitomi," the woman introduced with a slight bow, "I'm here to deliver you some supplies for the next week."

"Oh, thank you. Here, I'll take those," Sakura responded, leaning down to take the bags from Hitomi.

"Of course. Have a nice evening," Hitomi replied, giving another slight bow and turning to leave. As she walked, Sakura noticed that, without her carrying the bags, the Uchiha's gait was noticeably uneven.

Before the woman could get far, Sakura, overwhelmingly curious and wanting to help, asked, "I'm sorry if this is too forward, but why are you limping?"

The woman stopped and turned to face Sakura. She appeared to be embarrassed by the question but answered nonetheless. "Oh, um… It's an old injury from when I had my last child."

Sakura was floored by Hitomi's words. _Last_ child? How many children did she have? She couldn't be much older than Sakura was and the thought of already having children, let alone multiple, at her age startled her.

The medic snapped out of her inner thoughts. "I could take a look at that if you'd like. Maybe I could help."

Hitomi was surprised by her offer and was hesitant in her answer. "I… I suppose. You are going to be our doctor now, after all…"

Sakura gestured for the woman to follow her into her newly cleaned home. Hitomi slipped off her shoes in the entryway and entered the living room while Sakura finished closing the fusuma and shoji.

"Please, sit," Sakura stated before she went to place the cloth bags full of food on her kitchen counter.

When she returned, Hitomi was seated on one of the cushions surrounded the low table. Sakura joined her, silently noting that her home was freezing from the cold winter air and that she needed to light the fireplace to heat up the house.

"So, Hitomi. How long have you had the limp? And how did it start?" the medic began, folding her hands in her lap.

"About… two years now. It started when I had my first child, my daughter, but it became much worse after I gave birth to my son."

"Do you have any pain?"

"It's constant. I've learned to live with it."

"Is it a dull pain or is it sharp?"

"It feels like something is cutting me when I walk."

"Does it get better with rest?"

"Most of the time. I can only sleep on my left side though..."

"Okay. Do you mind if I run a diagnostic on you?" Sakura asked, holding up her hand so the woman could see the green glow of chakra, "It won't hurt but it may feel a little odd."

Hitomi eyed Sakura's glowing hand nervously but her lips flattened as her expression became determined. Even with her new determination, she still stuttered. "O-okay."

Sakura placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, reaching out with her chakra to inspect her. She immediately noticed that the woman's pelvis had been fractured at some point and had naturally healed incorrectly.

The Uchiha probably hadn't even noticed that it had been fractured if it had happened while she was giving birth. With the pain that followed childbirth, the pain from the fracture was likely written off as normal.

"Alright, Hitomi?" Sakura started as she removed her hand from the dark haired woman's shoulder, "The reason you're in so much pain is because your pelvis was fractured, more than likely during childbirth, and has healed incorrectly. I can fix your limp and stop the pain, but I'm going to have to re-fracture your pelvis."

Hitomi's jaw dropped as she stared at Sakura with a horrified expression.

"You have to what?!" she squeaked.

Sakura held up her hands in a placating manner, hoping the ease her fears. "I can numb the area so it won't hurt at all."

"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea…" the blue eyed woman muttered in response, her hands wringing together nervously.

"I can make your pain and your limp go away. It won't take long at all and I promise it won't hurt."

"Are you sure about this?" the Uchiha questioned, obviously interested in the prospect of being cured.

"I'm positive. You can trust me," Sakura asserted with a confident look.

"I… Suppose…"

"Alright. Let me grab something comfortable for you to lie down on. I'll be back in a moment," Sakura replied before going outside to fetch the futons that were airing out on the line outside. She deposited two of them on the floor in her living room before bringing Hitomi the third.

She laid out the futon on the floor of her living room and Hitomi lied down, despite her apprehension. She wrung her hands together nervously and her breathing quickened.

"It's okay. I promise it will be quick and painless," Sakura comforted with a smile which the ebony haired woman returned uncertainly.

"Alright, I'm going to start now. This part may feel a little odd but it's only temporary. It's so you don't feel any pain," the medic explained as she pressed her hands, glowing green with chakra, against the woman's stomach.

"Okay…"

The medical ninja utilized a jutsu that her mentor Lady Tsunade had taught her when she began taking on surgeries in the hospital. She used her chakra to block the efferent nerve pathways from Hitomi's pelvis to her brain in a way that was similar to how Hyuuga blocked chakra pathways. By doing so, the pain signals that would be sent to the woman's brain wouldn't reach it and she would feel no pain when Sakura fractured her pelvis.

"Okay, here we go. Deep breath in," Sakura instructed as she placed her fingertips against where the improperly healed fracture was, "Deep breath out."

When the medic heard Hitomi breath out shakily, she pressed chakra into her fingertips and tapped on her pelvis. The Uchiha drew in a ragged, shocked breath at the muted crack of her own bone breaking. She grimaced, her eyes squeezing shut, as she waited for the pain to come.

After a few moments of painlessness, Hitomi's eyes cracked open and she looked down to see Sakura pressing one hand against her hip, aligning the bone properly, as her other hand worked on healing the new fracture.

"I felt nothing," the Uchiha whispered in wonder, drawing a pleased smile from Sakura.

"Good! My patients in the merchant cities definitely appreciated the technique as much as you do."

"The merchant cities?" Hitomi questioned curiously, a look of confusion on her face, "What was a kunoichi like you doing there?"

Sakura huffed out a self deprecating laugh. "Seems I've been telling a lot of people about my past lately… My old village was destroyed so I came out here. I stayed in the merchant cities to make money and to… _attempt_ to research jutsu."

Hitomi's expression showed her pity as well as her regret. "Oh, I-I apologize. I'm so very sorry for asking."

"It's okay. I've had time to accept what's happened," Sakura muttered, the words feeling wrong even as she spoke them, as she began to finish up the procedure.

There was a moment of silence before Hitomi quietly, but sincerely, spoke, "I hope this place can become your home soon."

The kunoichi shot Hitomi a started look, surprised by her kindness. She smiled softly after a moment and began working at restoring the nerve pathways in Hitomi's pelvis.

"Thank you. That means a lot… And all done. Want to stand up and try to walk around? See how it feels?" Sakura asked, pulling her hands away from the Uchiha's hips.

Hitomi gave Sakura an uncertain look but soon stood. Her face immediately betrayed her shock and awe as she stood with no pain. As she took a few steps, her limp now gone, her expression morphed into one of unfettered joy.

"This… You… Y-you're amazing!" she praised breathlessly, smiling at Sakura in wonder.

"No pain then?" the medic answered, unable to stop the smile that took over her face as well.

"None at all! I haven't felt like this in years. Thank you. Thank you so much!"

"I'm more than happy to help."

"I must go tend to the rest of my duties but," Hitomi started before turning to Sakura and bowing deeply, "Thank you again, Lady Sakura."

" _Please_. Just call me Sakura," she begged, her smile unwavering in the face of her patient's happiness.

"Thank you… Sakura."

When Hitomi left, it was with a skip in her step and a smile stretched all the way across her face.

* * *

As Sakura stocked her icebox and the pantry with the food Hitomi brought her, she noticed that the sun was now settling. She went around and lit a few paper lanterns around the house, lighting up her home in a soft glow. After gathering some firewood she located in a neat stack outside, she lit the fireplace, intent on heating up her home as well as cooking herself something for dinner. She was starving and was incredibly happy that Hitomi had brought her a supply of food.

Sakura ran through the hand signs necessary for a summoning jutsu before nipping her thumb and drawing a droplet of blood. She pressed her palm into the floor, the seal designating her summon erupting from her hand. A puff of smoke obscured her view of the seal and before it dispersed, revealing Kuro.

"Ah. I was just preparing to ask father to summon you," the panther stated, watching as Sakura stood and began filling a pot with water from the sink.

"Just in the nick of time then. And your father? Who's your father?" the kunoichi asked as she set aside the pot.

Kuro sat down on the tatami mats, his tail flicking idly as he watched Sakura begin to rinse off some vegetables in the sink.

"Hyo," he responded simply.

Sakura nearly dropped the carrots she had been rinsing off in surprise. She whipped around and her eyes immediately shot to Kuro, searching his face for a lie.

"Hyo. The giant leopard. Hyo is your dad?" she questioned, her eyebrows rising in surprise.

Kuro gave her an unimpressed look and she could nearly see his eyebrow quirk in response. "You're surprised?"

Sakura fished out a knife from one of the drawers in the kitchen and began cutting up the vegetables and adding them to the pot of water.

"Well… yes? Aren't you a panther?"

"A panther is a leopard, Sakura. We just have a darker coloration."

"Oh... I wasn't aware of that."

As Sakura finished preparing the stew and went to secure it to the hook hanging above the fireplace, Kuro curled up next to the warm hearth and stretched.

As she lowered the hook so the pot of uncooked stew sat above the flames, Kuro spoke. "Why are you still here?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, sitting back on one of the cushions she had placed next to the sunken hearth.

"Why are you still in this house?" he clarified.

"I've been offered the position of clan healer. They're giving me unlimited access to their library, among other things. This house too, although it will also function as a clinic," Sakura explained, scooting closer to the fireplace in an attempt to absorb more of its warmth.

"And you trust these people enough for that?" Kuro questioned, glancing pointedly at the ceiling where one of Sakura's guards was perched.

"No. Not yet, anyways…" Sakura answered honestly, "But they're my best chance at moving forward. And not only that, the Senju clan attacked the holdings of one of my patients, Nozomi Nakano. I defended her family but... I killed a lot of people. It might not be safe in the merchant cities anymore."

"Yes, Tora told us all what happened... I suppose this just means that I will be coming around a lot more until I'm certain the Uchiha mean no ill will," Kuro replied in a tone that brokered no objections.

"I appreciate it," Sakura replied with a smile as she stirred the stew.

She stood and entered the kitchen to grab a bowl, looking over her shoulder as her hand hovered over a second dish.

"Are you interested?" she asked, gesturing to the pot.

"In your prey food? No thank you. I will eat when I return to my world," Kuro huffed, the carnivore uninterested in the vegetable stew that Sakura had prepared.

"Hey, guards? Are you interested in some stew?" Sakura asked the ceiling.

There was a few moments of silence before a familiar, muffled sigh sounded from above. "No thank you."

Sakura smiled and shook her head, returning to her seat next to the hearth and stirring her stew once again. As she sat down, Kuro sniffed the air curiously.

"So you've interacted with a different Uchiha today?" he asked, his head perking up.

Sakura nodded. "A woman came by today to deliver a supply of food. She had a limp and severe pain and I offered to heal her."

"Hmm…" the panther hummed as he laid his head back down on his paws.

Sakura adjusted the hanging hook so her now finished pot of stew hung away from the flames. "What are you thinking?"

"Perhaps sending the limping girl to bring you food was a test?" the summon suggested as his eyes slid shut, enjoying the warmth of the hearth.

"Huh… I wonder," Sakura responded as she used a ladle to fill her bowl with soup.

She ate her dinner in the comfortable silence, quietly reviewing the events of the day and making her plan for the future. As she thought, her mind kept returning to her mental image of Madara teasingly smirking at her as he told her not to destroy their training grounds.

One thing was for sure: in all of the history texts she had read, all of the stories she had heard, not a single person had mentioned how attractive he was. Perhaps it was just a trait inherent to all Uchiha?

Sakura huffed silently as she shoved a spoonful of soup into her mouth, determined to ignore her decidedly _unhelpful_ thoughts.

* * *

 _A/N: The painting hanging in the Uchiha head household is of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess), Tsukuyomi (Moon God), and Susanoo (God of the Seas), the deities that the Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan jutsus are named after._

 _Hitomi means "pupil (of the eye)." "This name is usually given to girls with especially beautiful eyes." Her blue eyes are unheard of for Uchiha but her story will be revealed later on._

 _Don't forget to drop by and leave a review if you're enjoying the fic! I'd love to hear some of your theories._


	12. Adjusting

Despite having spent a week brainstorming potential solutions for bringing their missing comrade home, neither Kakashi nor Shikamaru had come up with anything of merit. Even after returning to the site of Sakura's disappearance, the demolished Samurai Bridge, they had come up with no clues as to her whereabouts.

Naruto, who had assigned himself to their group, had even taken it upon himself to enter sage mode multiple times in an attempt to scour the countries in search for his lost teammate. Every time the blond had entered the mode, however, his face always betrayed the same thing: he found no traces of her.

After having lost yet another precious person in his life, Naruto's usually bright demeanor had been diminished. Despite his smile lacking the luster they had all come to know, he refused to allow any of them to give up hope. They continued to persevere, desperately searching for a solution no matter how impossible the problem seemed.

They continued onward, scrounging for ideas, until Naruto of all people had had an epiphany that had the group sprinting to the Hokage's temporary office.

"Granny!" Naruto yelled as he swung open the door to the makeshift Hokage's office, immediately earning a harsh glare from the Fifth Hokage.

"I told you not to call me that, brat! Have some respect!" Tsunade berated immediately from her place behind a desk overwhelmed by scrolls and papers. Her tone was vicious but her words lacked the fire they normally did.

Even with her cherished apprentice having disappeared without a trace, the elder woman maintained a strong front. The dark circles under her eyes, however, betrayed more than just the strain she had been under following her coma and the beginning of a war.

Shikamaru and Kakashi entered behind Naruto with much less bluster, quietly closing the door behind them as Naruto excitedly detailed his theory.

"Sakura signed a contract with the slugs, right? Well, the toads summoned me to their world for my sage mode training! It was sorta like how we summon them or whatever, right? So that could work, y'know?!" the blond enthusiastically detailed, his words running together in his rush to speak. He emphasized certain aspects of his nonsensical plan with wild hand gestures, accomplishing nothing but making him all the more difficult to understand.

A fact only substantiated by Tsunade's furrowed brows and baffled grimace.

Shikamaru, his hands tucked into his pockets, strode forward to elaborate on Naruto's garbled yelling. "We think that because Sakura had signed a contract with the slugs that Lady Katsuyu should be able to summon Sakura to her world, no matter where she may be. This way, Lady Katsuyu can perform a kind of reverse summon to bring Sakura back to our world and back home."

Tsunade's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. After a moment, an amused smile spread across her lips, hope finally making it's appearance on the woman's face for the first time in the past week.

"Sometimes you're so stupid that you're brilliant, brat," Tsunade chuckled as she stood, already forming the hand seals necessary to summon a portion of the slug summon.

The Hokage nipped the tip of her thumb to draw a droplet of blood and pressed her palm against her desk. Concentric circles of kanji erupting from around her hand and across the papers and scrolls scatter across her desk. A puff of smoke appeared, blowing away some stray papers, and, when it cleared, a palm sized slug was revealed.

"My lady," the slug greeted in her soft, polite voice, bowing her eyestalks.

"Lady Katsuyu. Sakura has been missing for a few days now following a battle between Danzo and Sasuke. I need you to return to the Shikkotsu Forest and reverse summon Sakura. Then I'll summon you here and you can bring Sakura home," Tsunade explained briskly.

"Of course," Katsuyu replied in understanding before immediately dispelling herself, leaving behind a small puff of smoke.

The group waited a minute, Naruto nearly jumping out of his skin in excitement and needing to be hushed by Kakashi multiple times. The anticipation in the room was palpable, even without Naruto's frantic energy.

When Tsunade summoned Katsuyu once again, everyone waited for the smoke to clear with bated breath. When the whisps finally cleared, they revealed Katsuyu. The slug, despite lacking the ability to form facial expressions, appeared downtrodden. Her eyestalks hung low and an aura of despair hung around her.

"It… It didn't work," the slug summon explained in a remorseful tone, drawing a startled glance from Tsunade.

"It… didn't work?" the slug princess mimicked, her expression immediately morphing into one of horror.

Before anyone else in the room could ask why, Tsunade was on her feet, tearing through an overpacked bookshelf perched near her desk. Scrolls and books fell to the floor in her haste to locate her prize, the blonde paying no heed to the texts she threw aside. She quickly removed an unremarkable looking scroll from behind a stack of tomes and returned to her desk.

Unrolling the scroll across her desk, she revealed a dense manual on Konoha's municipal water treatment infrastructure. A text that would have been a struggle to read before but was now useless with Konoha having been destroyed by Pain.

The other shinobi in the room watched, concerned and then surprised, as Tsunade used a burst of chakra to remove a substantially larger scroll from the unassuming scroll she had hidden it in. When she unrolled the new scroll across her desk, adding to the madness of papers, numerous names and signatures were revealed.

The summoning contract with the slugs.

Tsunade unrolled the scroll hastily, spilling more papers onto the floor in her careless hurry, until three names nearing the end of the text became visible.

The first signature, a name written in blood years ago, had dulled to a dusty brown color. The second name, Tsunade's own name, was still colored a crimson red as if it had been signed just moments ago. The third signature, however, was as black as ink.

All four ninja stared at Sakura's name and handprint, bewildered. Tsunade, Kakashi, and Naruto were all familiar with how the summoning scrolls worked. When a summoner still lived, their signature remained bright red. When a summoner died, their name would dull to a dusty brown.

None of them had ever seen a signature turn as black as pitch.

"Why is her signature black, grannie?" Naruto muttered, his wide eyes not leaving the name of his missing friend neatly printed on the scroll before him.

"I… I don't know…" Tsunade whispered in response, her gaze also transfixed on her student's darkened handprint.

* * *

"Sakura."

"Hnn…"

"Sakura, wake up."

"Dun wanna yet..."

"Wake. Up."

"Unnn…."

The entirety of Kuro's weight pouncing down on Sakura's stomach rocketed her into a sitting position with a harsh exhale of air. She clutched her middle and glared at the summoned cat sitting across the room, the panther grooming his paw as if nothing had happened.

A quick, bleary glance at the ranma lining the ceiling, and the dim dawn light which entered through them, told her that it was very early morning. She rubbed her face, trying to wake herself up.

"What time is it?" she muttered into her hands, dragging her palms down her face as she yawned widely.

"Shortly after dawn. You have guests waiting for you."

Sakura sleep muddled gaze fell upon Kuro as he ran his dampened paws across his face, straightening his whiskers.

"Guests?" she parroted, her face pinched in confusion.

"See for yourself," he replied, striding into the kitchen to curl up next to the dying hearth.

Sakura sighed wearily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she stood to get dressed. She slipped on a thick cotton juban and a blue, floral print komon kimono. After securing the excess fabric around her waist beneath a white obi, she ran her fingers through her hair to brush out the tangles. She blearily shuffled to her front door, yawning again as she went, and slid it open.

On the other side of the door stood a line of a dozen Uchiha who all turned to face her at once.

"H-hi…" Sakura stuttered in surprise, her eyes widening as she took in the crowd of people slowly growing outside of her door.

"Sakura?" started a young man wearing a butcher's apron, "You're our doctor now, right? Are you available today?"

"Uh…" she muttered lamely, her eyes flicking between the various people lined up, some shivering in the early morning air.

"Of course. Er... Come on over to the side of the house. You can all wait on the engawa while I see you all individually."

* * *

When Madara had told her to expect some of his clan to come to her for healing the next day, Sakura certainly hadn't expected a dozen people to show up before the sun even fully rose.

Sakura had directed her surplus of new patients towards her engawa, giving the Uchihas a place to wait while getting out of the frigid early morning breeze. She realized that she would need to craft proper examination and waiting rooms, especially when some of her patients had more… private concerns that they didn't want the people waiting to hear.

There was only so many times someone could whisper to her that they itched in a rather personal area before she would lose her mind.

Sakura spent hours, nearly until early evening, tending to her new patients. She had been surprised by the sudden appearance of so many Uchiha, considering their distrust of strangers, until one woman mentioned that they were willing to give Sakura a chance since she had healed Hitomi without prompting.

After spending her morning treating a wide variety of illnesses, from a chronic cough to an allergic reaction, the medic had made a mental list of all the supplies she would need in order to run a proper clinic.

She desperately needed a stock of medicinal herbs in order to make poultices, tinctures, and pills. She couldn't continue to waste chakra tending to minor concerns which could easily be solved with a properly mixed medicine.

Not just that, but having to constantly wash her hands after tending to each patient with chakra was hell on her skin.

While Sakura wanted to see the library today, having only skipped out yesterday so she could prepare her clinic, she had been distracted by the sudden onslaught of a couple dozen new patients.

Just as she had finished with her last patient and began putting together a list of all the supplies she would need, she heard a knock on the closed shoji door leading to her engawa.

"Come in," she called out as she finished writing the next item she would need on her list.

The shoji door slid open and closed and, when Sakura looked up to regard her guests, she was surprised to see both Madara and Izuna waiting.

"Oh, good-" she glanced at the ranma to try to gauge the time by the sunlight that filtered in. "Afternoon."

"Good afternoon," the elder Uchiha greeted politely.

Izuna, however, greeted her with a simple and all too familiar, "Hn."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as memories of Izuna's doppleganger, Sasuke, surfaced and in the face of his rude behavior. As she glared, however, she noticed that the younger Uchiha's long sleeve was rolled up to the elbow, revealing a blistering burn on his forearm, and the growing patch of blood on the torn shoulder of Madara's coat.

"Did you two get into a fight with someone?" she asked with a now confused expression, gesturing for them to sit on the cushions near her as she set down the scroll she had been writing in on her low table.

As the two brothers, their shoes already removed, entered the room and lowered themselves onto the cushions, Madara explained, "Just a training session."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Do you always stab and burn each other during training sessions?"

"We may have…" He glanced at Izuna. "Gotten a bit heated."

Deciding that Madara's freely bleeding shoulder was the more pressing injury, she addressed his wounds first.

"May I see?" she asked, holding out her hands, the Uchiha nodding once.

Madara gathered his long hair to one shoulder so she could see the wound more clearly. As he pulled his hair to the side, his distinctive scent washed over her. It reminded her of smoke from a bonfire. A warm, woodsy scent, with a hint of ash and fire. It was as if the smoke from the fires he spawned had permeated his very being.

His scent brought her back to the numerous nights she had spent in her time, curled up next to the campfire with her teammates and watching as the embers from the flames blended into the stars in the sky.

Grabbing ahold of her wandering thoughts and forcing her attention back onto the actively bleeding wound, Sakura scooted forward and knelt next to the elder Uchiha. Her hands settled onto his shoulder as she channeled her healing chakra and began mending the torn flesh.

"Just _a bit heated_ , hmm?" the healer questioned rhetorically, decidedly ignoring the built muscles loosely coiled beneath her palms. She refused to abandon her professional demeanor, no matter how warm and solid he felt under her hands or how good he smelled.

As Sakura watched the wound knit together to focus her attention, she wondered if being attractive was a trait inherent to all Uchiha.

She knew that Sasuke was attractive. She had spent the better part of her life fostering a crush on the man after all. Since Izuna was nearly Sasuke's clone (or vice versa?), then the standoffish clan head certainly was handsome as well. Objectively, she could admit that Itachi had also been attractive, although she wouldn't touch the clan killer with a ten foot pole unless it was to beat him with it. Even the vast majority of the Uchiha she had treated that day, untoward itching aside, had been incredibly good looking as well.

Once the wound had closed completely, she ran a quick diagnostic to see if she had missed any of the capillaries or torn muscles beneath his skin. Halfway through her examination, Izuna broke her inner contemplation and huffed, "If you can stop molesting my brother, these burns sting a bit."

Sakura shot the younger Uchiha a warning glare before her gaze returned to her glowing hands. Her eyes met Madara's briefly and, when she noticed him watching her, her eyes snapped back to the now completely healed wound on his shoulder. As she pulled back her hands, she hoped that the heat she could feel building in her cheeks wasn't visible and that he couldn't have somehow sensed her thoughts.

"All done," Sakura stated, glad that her voice remained steady.

She stood from the cushion next to Madara, not noticing his curious stare, and entered her kitchen to wash her hands for the hundredth time that day.

When she returned, she sat next to Izuna, noting his increasing agitation.

"Now, what were you saying? These burns sting a bit?" she asked in a saccharine tone, an obviously fake smile plastered on her face.

"Have you never gotten burned before? Are you even capable of handling such wounds?" he mocked in response, a frown tugging at his features.

"It's okay, I know they hurt. But if you're a good boy and hold still, I can make the stinging go away," she cooed in a tone reserved only for the most obstinate of children, patting his uninjured hand twice.

The younger Uchiha stared at her in disbelieve, speechless, as she carefully lifted his injured arm to inspect his burns. Even the elder Uchiha gawked at Sakura for a moment, startled by her treatment of his brother. A man who, by his age, had already killed a hundred men and who bore part of the responsibility for leading a clan of some of the most powerful shinobi in the country.

Her hands glowed green with chakra as she rested her hand against Izuna's untarnished wrist, pressing chakra into the skin to numb the aggravated pain receptors. She began healing the wound itself from the bottom up, tending to the cauterized capillaries as she regrew the charred flesh.

"How dare you treat me like some obstinate child!" Izuna finally hissed, finding his words as well as his anger.

Sakura's answering glare was fierce as she responded in a heated yet measured tone, "And how dare you belittle me at every turn! I may be an outsider and you may not trust me yet, but I'm one of the best at what I do. If you're going to come to me for treatment, then I _expect_ you to treat me with respect."

Izuna seemed surprised by her sudden vehemence, giving her an odd look as she continued to mend his burns. He remained silent as she continued.

"One day, you could find yourself at death's door and I'm the only one who can stand between you and it. You don't have to like me but don't talk down to me. And certainly don't doubt my skills," she asserted calmly, her eyes still betraying her fire and her refusal to be disrespected.

Sakura pulled her hands back, folding them in her lap as she stubbornly maintained eye contact, refusing to back down. The younger Uchiha glanced down at his arm, as if expecting her work to only be half done in her anger, but found nothing but fresh flesh.

Izuna's gaze returned to hers and he met her glare for a few long, tense moments, neither one of them backing down. Even when his sharingan spun to life in challenge, her anger and her glare only intensified.

It was the younger who broke the staring match with a smirk, folding his now healed arms across his chest.

"I've never met anyone brave enough to stare into the sharingan," the Uchiha praised, inspecting her from a new viewpoint, "I suppose I can give you a chance… Sakura."

"Tch. Like I'm scared of your _pretty eyes_ ," Sakura snorted in response, a small smile of her own growing, as she stood to wash her hands once more.

Izuna's expression immediately morphed into one of offense at her comment, his sharingan fading to black in his surprise, as he sputtered, " _Pretty_?"

Sakura could feel his gaze burning a hole in the back on her head as she scrubbed her hands. As she dried them off, she noted that her stock of soap was dwindling down to nothing and decided she needed to address the issue of supplies.

Sakura returned to her seat next to the clan heads, noticing how Madara was hiding his amusement behind his hand and Izuna didn't even bother trying to conceal his peeved expression.

Before the younger Uchiha could go on the tangent Sakura knew was welling in his chest, she spoke. "Now, normally, I would give you both a tincture to help fight off infections but I don't have the necessary herbs or instruments to make it. If I'm going to be running a proper clinic here, I'm going to need to make a trip to one of the merchant cities for supplies."

"What kind of supplies do you need?" the elder clan head questioned, his amused gaze drifting between his still visibly vexed brother and the once more professional kunoichi.

"Well… For starters," Sakura began, pressing her fingertip to her lip in thought as her gaze drifted to the ceiling, "Futons for my patients, privacy screens, cabinets for storing medicine, soap, glass containers, beakers, flasks, stoppers, graduated cylinders, condensers, distilling columns, evaporating dishes, separatory funnels, mortars, pestles, a wide variety of herbs and seeds, gauze, dressings, tape, syringes, a press for pills…"

As the medic rattled off the list of supplies she failed to notice how the brother's expressions slowly morphed from curiosity to confusion and then to dismay.

"And I need to pick up some things for myself as well. Clothes, some toiletries, a chest for my things… It's a bit annoying having to fish things out of my scroll every ten minutes…" she continued, finally noticing the disbelieving stares the brothers were giving her.

"What?" Sakura asked, an embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks at their intense scrutiny.

Madara and Izuna shared a look before the elder questioned, "Is all that… really necessary?"

Sakura's answer was immediate and firm. "If I'm going to be running a clinic to my full capacity, then yes. The list I just gave is a fraction of what I had at my disposal at the hospital in my old village."

The brothers shared a meaningful stare, communicating silently as they often did, before Madara spoke. "Two years."

"Pardon?"

"If we're going to be outfitting a miniature hospital, then you must stay for a minimum of two years," the elder Uchiha clarified, his tone brokering no argument.

Sakura pursed her lips in thought at the prospect of being contracted for two years. She knew that it would take some time to browse their library in search of information related to space time jutsu and even longer to develop a jutsu to bring herself home. But two years?

In the end, it didn't matter how long she was contracted to them. If she found a way to get home, then fulfilling her end of a deal wouldn't hold her back from returning to the future.

"That sounds... reasonable. Should we sort out the finer details and finalize the contract while we're all here?"

* * *

When Sakura had finally been escorted to the Uchiha clan's library during the first few days of her stay, she could have wept in joy. It was contained within one of the larger buildings in the village and was packed to the brim with scrolls. Not only was it substantial, but it had been organized into easy to browse sections by a elderly woman quadruple her age but dozens of times her fury.

When Sakura had tried to leave the library, over the moon about her armful of scrolls, she had received the worst goose egg of her life from the crotchety old woman beaming her with her finely carved cane. Sakura had left the library with a quarter of what she had wanted to take home, convinced that the woman was a dragon guarding her den and that the scrolls Sakura had tried to leave with were part of her horde.

Over the first month that Sakura served as the official Uchiha clan's healer, her delving into the scrolls had turned up nothing of merit in regards to her returning home. Partly to maintain her cover and partly because the idea had been brilliant in the first place, Sakura had used the information tucked away in that library to begin to develop the stasis jutsu she had come up with only a short month ago.

The medic hoped to one day be able to place her patients into a kind of suspended animation in order to heal them without concern of them dying. She had made great strides in the development of her technique but, as it was now, the jutsu was such an incredibly drain on her chakra that she would need a fully charged seal if she wanted to use it for any meaningful period of time.

Despite spending every free moment researching a solution to her predicament, she was not unaware of the changes surrounding her.

At the beginning of her contract, she was treated with wariness by the shinobi and nearly immediate adoration by the non-ninja workers. After her healing Hitomi, a woman who Sakura later learned was one of the many cooks of the clan, and tending to the dozens of people who had come to her during her first week as the Uchiha clan's healer, the working class members of the clan treated her with the utmost respect.

So much so, in fact, that when they came to visit her for healing or otherwise, they often brought with them gifts. Her icebox was overflowing with meats of various kinds, the minor damage to her home had been repaired before she had even noticed it, and she had a secret section of her pantry dedicated to concealing her new stash of sweets.

Her home itself had changed considerably after her supply run to one of the nearby merchant cities. She still sometimes quietly chuckled to herself at her Uchiha "bodyguards" and their befuddled reaction to her hefting a crate as large as she was, loaded down with goods, into the back of the cart she had already stuffed to the brim with supplies. Their mounting confusion had only been all the more amusing when Sakura kept being approached by past patients and friends, some of who still insisted on calling her The Angel of Kiso.

Sakura had been drawn into so many conversations, and even recruited for a minor healing session, during their supply run to the merchant town that their small group hadn't been able to return to the Uchiha's holdings until after nightfall.

Now that she had the supplies she needed to run a proper clinic, her home had also experienced a dramatic change.

Her living room was now partitioned off by privacy screens, more than half dedicated to her clinic and the other a now cramp living space containing her table, a slowly growing bookshelf, and the painting of two tigers which still hung on her wall. Her clinic consisted of a few futons, concealed from one another by more privacy screens, and a handful of cushions for discussions with her patients.

She kept her kitchen partitioned off with the fusuma although she always left a section open as both a passageway and to let the heat from the hearth into her clinic. Her kitchen was now crowded with her ice box, her pantry, her constantly burning hearth, a set up that any alchemist worth their salt would drool over, and glass cupboards brimming with numerous and freshly concocted medications of all kinds

While her engawa remained the waiting space for patients and now became the most treaded path into her home, she found that she didn't mind. At least her patients were polite enough to mop up any blood they left behind and didn't get any fluids on the cushions laid out for waiting patients.

Sakura had even set aside the time to start a garden, a hobby that soon became a soothing release from her work and her studies. Clearing out the overgrown weeds had been little trouble. Digging up the rock hard dirt, however, had been an arduous task made easier with a bit of chakra and a well placed kick, even if the tremor she caused had resulted in concerned Uchiha bolting over to investigate.

She had filled her small garden to the brim with seeds of the more rare medicinal herbs that only grew during the cold season. By the end of the winter, she hoped to have a stock that would last her until she went home.

One of the more surprising changes, however, had been the change of demeanor of the guards who had consistently tried and failed to shadow her stealthily. Instead of their disgruntled sighing and refusals to partake in her dinners, on the second week she was there, they had actually come down from their perches on her roof to join her.

The two Uchiha had tried to convince her it was so they could keep a closer eye on her, but with temperatures having recently plummeted, Sakura was certain it was so they could eat a warm meal in a warm room. While the dinners remained mostly devoid of conversation, minus their thanks for her feeding them, their company was a pleasant change to her meals with just Kuro.

While the panther had been present for these dinners, he remained as silent as her new guests, watching closely from his place sprawled out next to the hearth.

Kuro himself had waited two weeks before finally deciding that Sakura was safe to sleep alone. Shortly thereafter, the guards whom she had shared a dozen dinners with were assigned elsewhere, leaving her alone for the majority of the day. While she was satisfied that Madara and Izuna now trusted her, having no company at night made the sensation of loneliness rear its ugly head once again.

At least until Sakura had taken to summoning the tiny, dark furred cat Kurumi to keep her company. The feline had been overjoyed to see her again after months of separation before her wandering attention lead her to investigate the house and even more thoroughly investigate her patients.

Most of the Uchiha who had come to visit her during the days Kurumi hung around had asked her where she had gotten a pet cat from. This had been met with obstinate declarations from the feline summon, nearly always resulting in yells of alarm when the ordinary looking house cat started berating them.

Kurumi had taken a particular liking to the Uchiha clan heads. Both Madara and Izuna had recognized Kurumi for what she was and had treated her as such from the moment they met her, something that the feline summon was undoubtedly grateful for after being underestimated by so many.

Now, whenever the brothers came to her for assistance and Kurumi was around, they had to contend with the young, overly affectionate summon. She had a particular fondness for playing with Izuna's ponytail, a game which, after Kurumi had gotten her claws stuck in his locks, resulted in him tucking his hair into the high collar of his shirt nearly the second he walked through the door. The feline had far more luck with Madara and her fondness for curling up on his shoulders, beneath his long mane of hair, a habit which was met with no opposition considering the winter chill.

The two Uchihas had become nearly constant figures in her life as both of them appeared to make it their personal mission to break some bone or burn themselves badly enough to merit her medical attention almost daily. Sometimes, however, she was pleasantly surprised when one or both of them would show up just to partake in conversation, something that greatly helped abate the feeling of loneliness.

She found that she enjoyed their company immensely, especially once Izuna had made the decision to forgo treating her like an outsider and actually started addressing her by her name and not simply as 'Kunoichi'.

Once she had breached the brothers' distrustful, standoffish exteriors, she was surprised to discover that Madara had an insatiable inquisitiveness, nearly constantly bombarding her with questions about her craft, and that Izuna was a merciless tease, getting endless joy from provoking her to the point of rage.

The younger Uchiha may be fast but he wasn't always fast enough to evade her punches (especially when they were preemptive), something that resulted in numerous healing sessions and a couple trips to the carpenter to fix damage to her own house.

Despite Sakura's constant search for a way to return home, she found herself becoming comfortable in the Uchiha clan's village, serving as their healer. She enjoyed the time she spent with the Uchiha, especially the clan heads, she had learned more dipping her toes into their library than in the past year of training, and she felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction being a respected person in the village, even if she didn't share their bloodline.

Even with her comfort, she still refused to give up her search for a way home. Her family, the people she loved, and the village she called home waited for her. She was simply happy to have a comfortable place in the past to do her research, as opposed to the inn-hopping and day-to-day living she found herself enduring when she first arrived.

* * *

Sakura had spent the better part of the morning tending to her garden, watering her budding medicinal plants and planting sprouted seedlings with care. Her hands and the skirt of her plain forest green komon kimono were covered in dirt but it did nothing to damper her serenity. Whenever she spent time in her garden, she always felt a sense of peace tending to the growing plants.

As she carefully watered the garden and snipped the dead buds from her few flowering plants, she noticed a very familiar chakra coming around the bend of her house next to the grove of plum trees that concealed her home from the surrounding wilderness. She stood to her full height and preemptively glared at the individual coming around the corner, startling the man as he passed the side of her house.

"I haven't even done anything yet!" Izuna asserted, returning her glare even as he came to a stop a safe distance away.

"The key word being _yet_ ," she replied, eyeing him.

"I promise not to torment you… too much today if you fix this," he offered, holding up a hand with an obviously broken wrist.

"Oh, wow. Hands certainly shouldn't bend that way. Another spar?" Sakura asked, setting down her watering can and approaching him as she wiped off her hands on her already stained skirts.

"Ah, yes. I admit it's quite interesting though. I've never been able to touch my forearm with this hand before," Izuna stated, tilting his arm up. His hand limply fell back against his forearm, his fingers twitching against the skin.

The medic winced sympathetically before snorting out a laugh and waving her hand, beckoning him to follow her into her house.

"How did you two even survive before I came along? And where's your brother? Usually you two come together," she questioned as they removed their shoes in the entryway and walked into her living room.

While all the other Uchiha were delegated to the section of her livingroom that had become the clinic, Madara and Izuna had the honor of being able to sit next to the warm hearth or at her table while she healed them. As he sat down next to the crackling fire in her kitchen, she washed her hands at the sink.

"We got by," the Uchiha quickly dismissed, "And there was something urgent that required his attention. Don't worry, I'm sure he will shuffle his way over here eventually. I think I broke his arm."

Sakura shot him a disbelieving look as she dried her hands, her eyebrows shooting up. " _Broke his arm_? Good gods, you are both insane."

Izuna shrugged noncommittally as she sat down next to him on one of the cushions lining the warm hearth. Sakura wasted no time in taking his broken wrist into her hand, her hands already glowing with green chakra.

"He better show up here soon before I hunt him down," she threatened, preparing to set his wrist manually.

"Heh, hunting down Madara. That's hilarious..." Izuna chuckled before he was silenced by a glower from Sakura who held his broken wrist in her hands, "...and terrifying, coming from you. Please be gentle."

She tugged on his wrist in one smooth motion, aligning the bones properly. The only sign that Izuna felt the pain was a tightening around the corners of his eyes. As she used her healing chakra to soothe the pain and mend the damaged ligaments and bones, Izuna spoke.

"So, Sakura…" Izuna started seriously after a long pause.

"Yes…?" she replied with a quirked brow as her eyes flicked up to his, concerned by his sudden change of tone.

If he had been planning on teasing her, he was smart enough to at least wait until she was done healing him...

"Well, I've been pondering this for a while but I thought I'd ask you directly so I could have my answer…"

"You're not going to ask to court me, are you?" Sakura teased, drawing a laugh from Izuna.

"Oh, no. You're far too frightening for my tastes," he admitted, the kunoichi mock pouting in response.

"You really know how to make a woman feel good about herself..."

"I know you take it as a compliment," he laughed, drawing a grin from Sakura which she hid.

Finished with her healing, the glow around her hand ceased and she pulled back. "Alright, so what are you thinking about then?"

"Well, when we first met on that battlefield outside of the Nakano family's holdings, you turned to face us in combat but you gave me the strangest look. Your guard even fell slightly. What was the look for? Have we met before?" Izuna queried as he rolled his wrist experimentally.

"Ah, well, er… To be honest… You look incredibly similar, nearly identical actually, to an old, uh… friend of mine," she tried to explain, wincing as she said 'friend'.

"Oh, an _old friend_ , hmm?" the Uchiha teased.

"Not like that, believe me. I struggle for the word friend because he betrayed my village. He took off with our enemies in the pursuit of power. We tried to stop him, but it almost resulted in the deaths of some of my close friends," she answered honestly, her face falling as she explained one of the more troubling parts of her past. She made sure to not mention any names. More specifically, she was careful not mention that the friend she spoke of was in fact an Uchiha.

"Why call him a friend then if he's a traitor?" he questioned, his once teasing expression now betraying his confusion.

"He was my teammate for a long time. And he didn't pursue power for his own gain…" she paused, reconsidering her words. "Necessarily. He wanted vengeance against the man who killed his family. He went mad with the need and turned to the darkness. We had hoped that we could bring him back."

"And what came of it?" Izuna prompted curiously.

"We... lost him," Sakura whispered, staring into the gently crackling fire, "And I lost everybody…"

His expression fell. "I apologize. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's alright. Don't worry about it... Does that answer your question though?" She forced a smile as she looked back to him.

"Yes... However, I am a bit concerned that I look so similar to a man who, by all intents and purposes, was a terrible person."

"Heh. Don't worry about it. Surprisingly, you're much kinder than he was."

"Surprisingly?" Izuna parroted in an offended tone.

"My name is Izuna Uchiha. I lead the clan with my brother. I've heard quite a lot about you recently, _kunoichi_ ," Sakura imitated in a low voice, mimicking Izuna, "If you can _stop molesting my brother_ , these burns sting a bit. Have you never gotten burned before? _Are you capable of handling such wounds_?"

The dark haired man huffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he glared at her. "Yes, yes. Well, I'm much nicer now though, now that I know I can trust you."

"Just yesterday you said that you were surprised I could hit anything with my _baby hands_ ," she returned, eyebrow twitching as she seriously considering hitting him once again. At least he hadn't insulted her forehead.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to endeavor to be even nicer then. I can't have you associating me with a traitor," he replied with a huff, affronted.

"Even though you do have baby hands," he added in a whisper, earning a punch to the shoulder.

* * *

 _A/N:_ _What Izuna meant by "We got by" was that their spars had gotten faaaar more vicious with her there to heal them. Like he'd ever admit that._


	13. Dinner

_A/N: Rakugan is a Japanese dried confectionery made of rice flour and powder sugar. They're basically these cookies that come in many different colors and shapes (pink ones shaped like cherry blossoms, white ones shaped like rabbits, green ones shaped like leaves, etc) because they are pressed into these molds._

* * *

On the second month that Sakura had served as the Uchiha clan's healer, she was surprised to receive an invitation from Madara to join him and Izuna for dinner.

She should have recognized the invitation for what it truly was: a thinly veiled excuse to absolutely bombard her with questions about her past in a setting she couldn't escape from. Especially since the invitation had come from a man whose curiosity and thirst for knowledge knew no bounds.

At least the food, a much higher quality than she could produce with her own admittedly meager skills, made the endless inquiries less like an interrogation and more like a pleasant meal with friends. Even if the brothers had decided to unleash their surplus of questions which they had apparently been storing for an opportune time such as this.

"Who is your family? Do you hail from a clan?" Madara questioned, scooping up a mouthful of noodles from his bowl of udon with his chopsticks.

"In a way. My parents and my grandparents were shinobi, but we don't have any bloodline traits like your family does. Unless you count excellent chakra control and a general proficiency with mental based jutsus, specifically genjutsu," Sakura plucked a slice of fried tofu from her steaming bowl of noodles. "We do have a crest though."

"What is your crest?"

"A circle with a hollow center." She explained before popping the piece of tofu into her mouth. "It's supposed to represent the cycle of chakra."

"How did you come to sign a summoning contract with the felines?" Madara asked next, absentmindedly stirring his bowl of noodles, steam rising from the bowl.

Sakura chuckled to herself at the story, already having pieced together a tale long ago. Truth mixed with a couple falsities. "It was an accident, actually. Did you know that if you attempt to do a summoning without a valid contract, you get dumped into the world that the summon you align with lives?"

"You attempted a summoning without a contract?" Izuna questioned flatly with a disbelieving expression.

"I used to have a contract with the slugs, you know," she explained with a sidelong look, "When I tried to summon Lady Katsuyu, I was surprised… well, alarmed really, to find myself plummeting into a jungle from the sky. I met Kuro in the jungle and he took me to his leader, Lady Miyabi. I told her my story and she decided I was worthy. She said she'd help me and we've been working together ever since."

"What happened to your old summoning contract?" Izuna questioned, taking a measured bite of his noodles.

"My mentor had possession of it, not me. All I know is that I no longer have access to the contract," Sakura replied smoothly, taking a bite of her meal as well. It wasn't a lie.

The younger Uchiha finished his mouthful before glancing at her forehead pointedly. "What is the symbol on your forehead? We saw you using it before but what does it do?"

"It's my Strength of a Hundred seal. It allows me to store a vast amount of chakra for later use."

"Is that what allowed you to heal all of those people at the Nakano's holdings?"

"Basically. It's a technique that I'm able to use because of the chakra I have stored in the seal."

"Where did you learn your medical jutsu?" Madara asked after a moment, taking a bite of his udon.

"My mentor, Lady Tsunade," Sakura replied, certain that no one had heard of her not yet born Hokage.

"Is that who you learned your monstrous strength from as well?" Izuna tacked on, earning a glare from Sakura.

"What have I told you about using the word monstrous?" she reminded, her stare a silent threat.

"Well, it's true..." he argued even as he gauged the distance between her and himself, checking to make sure he was out of immediate swinging distance.

Sakura sighed quietly, too polite to take a shot at someone in their own house during a dinner she had been invited to. "Also my mentor."

"She must have been a powerful kunoichi to have taught you," Madara complimented, taking a sip from his tea.

"She…" she started with a smile before her expression dropped, her thoughts returning to the elder kunoichi, still in a coma, in her timeline.

Sakura still wasn't sure if her mentor would survive…

"She was…" she finished with a deep frown, taking a bite of her udon to hide her sorrow.

"What was she like?" Madara asked softly, mindful of her sudden sadness.

"She was the most skilled medical ninja I've ever met and one of the most powerful ninja I have ever had the honor of training with. She was the leader of my village," Sakura replied before smiling wistfully, "She also had a bad temper, a penchant for gambling, and was a drunk."

"You were the apprentice of the leader of your village?" Madara asked, surprised by the fact that their healer's mentor had been the leader of her old village.

"I was. I asked her to train me shortly after she took over. I thought I was going to pass out from the stress when I asked her, to be honest. She was very intimidating," Sakura laughed in response, scooping up some noodles in her chopsticks.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Izuna suddenly asked, "Why do you cut your hair so short?"

"Uh, that's kind of a long story, actually… And my hair much longer than I usually keep it," she replied, unconsciously lifting her hand to fiddle with the ends of her hair, her locks now reaching her shoulder blades. She would need to do something with it soon, either cutting it or pulling it back.

"And?" the young clan hand prompted, both brothers waiting for her story patiently.

"Well, um… I was on a mission with my team when we were ambushed by a man who outclassed us… By a lot, at the time," Sakura began, gazing into her meal as she recounted her tale, "He seriously wounded both of my friends but we were able to escape. When I was looking after them, a team of shinobi that worked under the man attacked me."

Even though the attack orchestrated by Orochimaru had been years ago, the fear and the feeling of helplessness still remained. She silently swallowed before she continued.

"I… wasn't very strong at that point. One of them grabbed me by my hair and taunted me for paying more attention to it than my training. They said that because I was uncommitted, my friends were going to die… So I cut off my hair with a kunai and tried to fight them. But they were right. If it wasn't for another team of ninja from my village coming to save us, we would have all died that day… So, I kept it short as a reminder to keep my priorities in order. To remain strong to protect those I care about."

"A worthwhile goal," Izuna commented, nodding sagely as both he and his brother finished their bowls of udon and placed their chopsticks along the rim of their bowls, nearly synchronized.

"It served me well since then… At least… I…" she replied, her voice drifting off as she realized how little that commitment had actually done.

Sakura's eyes dropped to her nearly finished meal as her mind unhelpfully informed her how weak she still was, how all of her training and perseverance had done nothing in the end.

She was still stuck here in the past while her friends and her village struggled to survive. Naruto was still being pursued by the Akatsuki for the tailed beast inside of him. Sasuke was still a missing ninja, bent on destroying everything he touched. Tsunade was still in a coma, possibly until her death.

She hadn't even been able to help when Pain destroyed Konoha, instead crying out for Naruto to come help in her terrified state. Even Hinata had run into Naruto's battle against Pain to help while Sakura had stayed back. All she had been able to do was help pick up the pieces afterwards.

She hadn't even been able to come up with a way home despite spending nearly all of her free time searching for clues in the Uchiha's library. She was still as weak and useless as ever...

Sakura was startled from her rapidly escalating inner thoughts by a warm hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the sudden contact, nearly dropping her chopsticks. Her eyes shot up from her rapidly cooling bowl of udon to meet Madara's sympathetic eyes.

"Sorry… I guess I… Got a little lost in thought there," she tried to laugh off, plastering a fake smile on her face in an attempt to brush off her sudden depression.

Sakura refused to allow tears to build in her eyes. She couldn't think of anything more embarrassing that crying during a dinner with one of the future founders of her village and his brother.

She felt Madara give her shoulder a gentle squeeze, as if trying to offer some comfort despite her lie, before pulling his hand away.

She felt guilty knowing that they thought she was depressed because her village had been destroyed and all the people she loved had been killed. Her loved ones still existed, just far, far in the future. The village had been demolished but it still persevered, just not where she could touch.

She cleared the knot in her throat before she spoke again, trying to change the subject as the feeling of guilt became too uncomfortable. "You know, you two have asked me all kinds of questions. It only seems fair that I should be able to ask some of my own."

"Ask away," Madara returned easily.

"Well…" Sakura started, a bit thrown by his immediate acceptance. She thought for a moment before canting her body to face the older brother.

"What was that… thing that you were carrying when we first met. The, er…" she made a curvy motion with her hands, trying to describe the weapon the elder Uchiha had had strapped to his back and chained to a kama.

He understood the gesture immediately. "Ah, my gunbai."

"Ah, so it does have a name. What is it? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's a fan-like weapon that can function as a bludgeon and a shield. It conducts chakra so I can use wind release techniques in conjunction with my fire jutsu, among other things," he explained succinctly, Sakura nodding in understanding.

"Okay. Hmm… Hobbies?" she asked lamely, earning a chuckle from both brothers.

"I enjoy falconry," Madara responded with a smile, earning a surprised tilt of the head from Sakura.

"Training with this one," Izuna answered with a grin, pointing at his brother.

"Favorite foods?"

"Inarizushi," the elder Uchiha answered.

"Tonkatsu. You?" the younger brother replied.

"It's a fight between umebushi, anko dumplings, and anmitsu for me," she laughed before continuing, "Okay, a more serious question: How long have you two lead the clan?"

"Around five years now. After our father was killed in a battle against the Senju, we both unlocked the next phase of our sharingan. The clan recognized us as being the most powerful of our family and named us the heads of the clan,"Madara explained.

"Although, technically, he's our leader," Izuna added, jabbing his thumb towards the elder Uchiha.

As they spoke, Sakura finished her meal. As she laid her chopsticks along the rim of the bowl, she continued, "I've never heard of a clan electing a leader like that. I thought most clans used an heir system."

"Most do. We are unique in that we elect our leaders based upon their contributions or skill in battle rather than something as nonsensical as direct lineage. The battle that afforded me my leadership, in which I first used the next phase of my sharingan, was…" Madara paused for a moment, appearing to be searching for the correct word to describe an undoubtedly gruesome battle, "...memorable for those involved."

"I would imagine it was…" Sakura commented gently, knowing that a battle in which he saw his own father killed must have escalated very quickly.

Sakura tried to bring the conversation away from the tender subject of familial death by commenting on the subtle hint that Madara had unlocked the next phase of his sharingan before Izuna had. "Did you unlock the next phase later on, Izuna?"

"I… yes," the younger brother replied hesitantly, as if holding back some kind of information, "It didn't happen for me until a week or so later."

"It works like that?"

"Apparently. We are the first to accomplish such a thing, so it's all new information at this point," he answered, his words somehow sounding like a lie.

Sakura didn't miss the almost saddened, sidelong look that Madara sent his younger brother. Even though she had caught it, she knew better than to press. She changed the direction of the conversation once again, trying to bring them out of sensitive territory and back onto easy, friendly ground.

"So you've been in charge for five years? How old were you two when you took over?"

"Seventeen and sixteen," Madara answered simply.

Sakura quietly noted that the brothers were in their twenties, substantially older that she had thought they were. She has assumed that they were her age. To think that Madara had taken over the responsibility of his entire clan at the same age she was now...

"Was it hard, being so young?"

Madara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Is that young to you? We were considered men at twelve."

"Twelve? I had just started taking missions for my village when I was twelve…"

"So old? When did you first see combat?"

"I fought my first enemy when I was twelve… When did you?"

"When we were four."

Sakura gaped at the two brothers, startled and horrified by his declaration. " _Four_!? Who allowed you to battle against someone at four?"

"We weren't allowed, we were expected. Since we were old enough to walk, we were taught to wield a sword," the elder Uchiha returned, eyebrows furrowed.

"Your village didn't do the same?" Izuna questioned, his expression also one of confusion.

"No. At least not with the vast majority. Some incredibly gifted kids were allowed to if they wanted but sending a child into combat like that is generally looked down upon. Kids aren't even allowed to _spar_ until they're four..."

Madara's eyes drifted to the table as he became deep in thought. The younger Uchiha glanced at his brother before his gaze returned to Sakura, baffled.

"What was your childhood like, if you were on the battlefield so early? Were you two even allowed to be kids?" Sakura queried with a concerned expression.

"What do you mean by 'allowed to be kids'?" Izuna returned, his befuddled expression only deepening.

"Being kids! Like not having to worry about fighting, spending days just playing with other kids. Like playing hide and seek or tag or pranking adults," Sakura explained vehemently, not understanding how they didn't know what being kids meant.

Had they really not been allowed to just be children when they were young? Were things really so bad back in this time?

"Hide and seek and tag are drills for battle. How are those children's games?" the elder Uchiha queried, his eyebrows coming up in surprise.

"What? Battle drills?"

"Hide and seek trains how to find enemies that may be concealing themselves on the battlefield and tag is a test of speed to catch fleeing opponents…" Madara detailed simply.

"Not… Where I come from…" she muttered in response, silently considering how the games she played as a child could have evolved from these drills. The thought filled her with an immediate revulsion.

"It sounds like you grew up in a very peaceful place…"

"I suppose I did… At least compared to here..."

"Do you have any siblings?" Izuna questioned after a moment of shared, baffled silence.

Sakura shook her head, still reeling from their precious topic. "No, I'm an only child. My mom decided she didn't want to have any more kids after my birth."

The confused expressions returned tenfold. "An only child? And she _decided_ she didn't want more children? How is that even possible?"

"With… birth control…" Sakura answered with a disbelieving stare.

"Birth… Control? You can control births? Do the babies disappear during birth?" Izuna questioned, an expression of horror dawning on his face.

"W-what!? No! Gods no... It's a pill that prevents pregnancy," she answered with a growing blush, uncomfortable by the sudden, intense, and baffled stares by the brothers.

"That's… possible?" the elder Uchiha muttered.

"Does that…" Sakura paused, her eyes flicking between the brothers in shock. "Not exist here? How many siblings do you two have?"

"We had three brothers."

"Your mom had five children!? And _all_ boys?" Sakura gasped in disbelief, "Where are your other siblings? I didn't realize there were more of you running around."

There was a heavy silence as the two Uchiha glanced at each other before Madara softly stated, "They're dead."

"They're… Oh..." Sakura's face dropped as she put her hand over her mouth as if to catch the careless words she had let loose. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I… I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright. They've been gone for nearly fifteen years now…"

"I… Still. I'm sorry you lost your brothers. And your parents... Especially with you all being so young. I can only imagine how difficult that must have been for you both. I'm so sorry I was so thoughtless..." she insisted, leveling them with her sympathetic gaze.

"...Thank you," the elder Uchiha nearly whispered, staring at her with an indiscernible expression.

Little did Sakura know that no one had ever offered their sympathy to the brothers before. As children, they had been told to bear the pain and if they had cried, they had been beaten for their weakness. It had been best to simply force their sorrow into the shape of anger and use it against the Senju.

Sakura was horrified.

She had heard stories and read tales of life during this time but she had never fully grasped the suffering people had gone through. The suffering the founders of her village had been forced to endure. She was sickened by the thought that children as young as four had been forced to fight and kill in battlefields they never should have seen.

"Neither of you should have to live with that. With... _this…_ Gods, I'm sorry," the kunoichi gestured around herself broadly, signifying the world they lived in.

If the brothers had been given the chance to live normal lives, to be able to be children, to not lose family to never ending battles, to not be forced to fight to the death at the tender age of four… Maybe the future would have been different. Maybe Madara and Izuna's faces would be donning the Hokage monument in her time as well. Maybe Madara would never have defected from the village and fought Hashirama at the Valley of the End.

But it wasn't meant to be. The thought that she could not interfere during this time filled her with a sense of shame and frustration. The thought that Madara would one day die at the hands of the First Hokage and that Izuna would fade so far into obscurity that she had never even heard of him in her time made her furious. No matter how depressed or livid she was, however, she had to leave as small a ripple in this time as she could before she returned home. Her meddling could result in an even bigger catastrophe in her future.

"Don't be. It's just how the world is," Madara informed, giving her an odd, soft look.

Sakura's gaze hardened at that, her sadness from knowing she couldn't try to make her future a better place feeding her vehemence. "No one should have to live in a world where their family dies so readily. Where children have to see a battlefield so young. Where they can't even be kids… It's not right..."

The two brothers watched her with expressions of surprise and wistfulness. Silence reigned for a long moment before the elder Uchiha finally spoke, longing in his voice. "I envy the village you lived in. It's a tragedy that such a place was lost."

Sakura worried her lip for a moment, pondering her own words, before she quietly suggested, "Maybe one day it can be like that here…"

When Sakura looked back up to the brothers after a long pause, she found that Madara was staring at her with an almost pained expression, as if he were recalling a distressing memory.

"One can only dream."

* * *

The dinner with Sakura had raised more questions than answers. Madara had learned so much and yet so little. He had acquired more pieces to the puzzle that was her only to find that the puzzle was much larger than he had anticipated.

Instead of the dinner and his questions sating his curiosity, they had amplified it.

And, either more interesting or more distressing still, she had brought up memories long buried. Memories of his childhood friend, sloppily tucked away in the back of his mind until the pink haired kunoichi's peaceful and optimistic look on the future, despite the tragedy she had endured, had dredged them back up. Memories of childish promises that had been broken and ignorant dreams that had been abandoned.

Sakura had once called the place him and Hashirama had dreamed of as children home.

A place where children weren't forced to fight and die in unending wars. A place where shinobi of her caliber were still raised. A place that knew peace.

And it had been destroyed.

Madara wondered if that was a sign or an omen. He wondered if peace was only possible for brief moments of time before it once again faced the horrors of war. He wondered if the shared fantasy with his old friend had been just that or if their dream had had merit. Her village had made it work for some indistinct amount of time. She hailed from a place he could only wish existed for his family.

He found no answers to his wandering thoughts of peace but he would find answers to the riddle that was Sakura.

* * *

Madara's visits to her always warm home became more frequent over the next month. It seemed that when he wasn't out of the village, tending to clan business, or training with his brother, he was with her.

He came to associate her with the scent of flowers and drying herbs. She would burn dried sage and incense-like concoctions of herbs and flowers in her hearth, filling her home with the pleasant smell and always making him wonder where she had found the plants in the freezing climate.

He would often catch her buried in one of the numerous scroll from the library, jotting down notes onto another scroll with an expression of absolute concentration. He wondered what knowledge she sought and had asked her once. She had replied with a bittersweet smile that once again raised more questions before responding "knowledge to be a better medical ninja and a better kunoichi". It almost sounded like a lie.

The Uchiha knew she was searching for something deeper and had yet to find the answer as to what it was when he investigated the scrolls she finished. After all, the mishmash of scrolls on history, geography, herbology, elemental jutsu, various experimental new jutsu such as the barely developed space time jutsu and barrier jutsu, gardening, and even cooking explained very little.

Madara wanted to look at her handwritten scrolls to see what she had deemed important enough to write down but found that the thought of invading her privacy and breaking her trust sickened him, even if his spying would bring him closer to his goal of understanding her. The thought of Sakura, the near mythical woman she was, feeling betrayed by him left him with a deep sense of discomfort.

He didn't look too deeply into it.

Madara simply decided to take the long route (and the most enjoyable route, he found) to learning about Sakura through their conversations. Their oddly satisfying conversations. He nearly always left her home with a sense of warmth that extended farther than the heat he absorbed sitting in front of her gently burning hearth as they spoke.

During the first few times they had interacted, Madara had memorized her visage with his sharingan. The first time he saw her from across the battlefield. The first time she healed one of his family members. The first time she healed him. He had her form memorized but found himself interested in the different sides of her and how her body changed with her emotions. Her different faces.

He had memorized her in the depths of fury, rearing back to land a killing blow on a person whose life she had deemed was hers to take. He had memorized her in a state of complete focus, pulling the poison from his dying kin with her skilled hands. He had memorized her when she healed him, even if he still second guessed whether or not he actually had seen the blush grace her cheeks after their gazes had met.

The sharingan may be powerful but his sight was failing significantly after so much use of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Perhaps he had seen it wrong. Perhaps he had imagined her face flush.

He didn't like the feeling of doubt that settled in his mind or whatever reason fed it.

But Madara found that he did like spending time with her. Even if Izuna, the maddening little brother he was, had taken to teasing him as well as Sakura. As far as Madara was concerned, his visits with the clan medic were perfectly innocuous.

And tonight was one such visit.

The Uchiha found himself comfortably seated in his usual spot, basking in the heat of the hearth as Sakura shared with him her hidden stash of rakugan. He had felt strangely touched that she was willing to share her box of sweets with him, despite it being such an simple gesture. It showed him that she cared about him enough to try to make him happy.

As he chewed on a bite from a cherry blossom-shaped rakugan from her stash, absorbing the heat from the fire, basking in the scent of flowers, and listening to her talk about how her garden was coming along, he felt a sense of… warmth.

Madara couldn't find a better word for the sensation but could place other times he had felt it.

One was one of his earliest memories. He couldn't have been more than three at the time. He had fallen from a tree while learning to use chakra to climb and his now deceased mother had been embracing him and comforting him. He hadn't been particularly upset about the fall but had enjoyed one of the rare moments in which his mother had shown him affection. After all, he was to be a warrior and affection made for weak warriors.

The first time he had taken a hard look at the night sky. The sense of wonder and strangeness as he gazed at the galaxies above him. The feeling that he was so very small compared to the universe. The thought of whether or not other worlds suffered through the same endless battles his did. The bloodied corpses of his first kills lying at his tiny feet did little to dampen the sense of wonder and smallness he felt staring at the stars. He was only four and had just killed three grown men but the brilliance of the stars above him allowed him to withhold his tears until he was safe at home that night, tightly curled up in his futon in the room he shared with his then still living brothers.

The final was when he was perhaps five or six. It became difficult to tell his age after he had been thrust into the battles. The days began to run together in one bloody smear with a few days of happiness peeking out of the gore. This had been one such day.

Him and Izuna had been basking in the sun, laid out on the riverside, after a day spent fishing and playing in the water. They had thrown each other into the river multiple times while rough housing and had gotten thoroughly soaked. He could still vividly remember the sensation of the sun drying his clothes and his skin, the feeling of soft grass against his back, and the foggy redness from the sunlight seeping in through his closed eyelids.

"Hey, are you even listening?" Sakura asked suddenly, breaking him from his rumination.

"Of course." He was always listening when she was speaking. "You were saying how your nightshade, a normally extremely hazardous plant, was coming in nicely and that you were concerned for your eyebright since the last freeze."

"Hmm…" she hummed as she leaned in close to eye him before suddenly smiling, "Impressive, still paying attention while lost in thought. I'll even let you have one of the anko dumplings Hitomi made me this morning as a reward."

"Such a high honor?" he returned with a teasing grin, "I heard you put Izuna through a wall for trying to steal one of your favorite foods earlier today."

" _And_ you remembered they were one of my favorite foods? You can have two then," she laughed in response, drawing an easy smile from the relaxed Uchiha.

Madara leaned over to pluck one of the messy dumplings from the plate sitting next to her, popping the whole thing into his mouth. While they weren't his favorite by any means, he couldn't turn down her offer. He was many things but rude wasn't one of them.

"The bilberries should be done by the end of the month. I'm a bit excited to have a fresh stock. They work so much better when-" Sakura started before being cut off by a chakra signature approaching her home.

They both recognized Izuna's chakra and while Sakura wore an expression of confusion, Madara knew what his brother's sudden appearance this late at night meant.

It was time for a night raid.

His younger brother barged right into Sakura's house with no formalities, as he was opt to do after having spent so much time with her.

When he entered the living room, however, instead of his face displaying his normal serenity, his expression was hardened. Instead of his leisure clothes, he was already dressed in his battle wear, his katana strapped to his side.

The comfortable atmosphere of their warm, private conversation was immediately broken as Madara got to his feet, already anticipating what Izuna was going to say.

"Night raid. Fujita holdings. The Senju might be there," Izuna explained briskly before curtly nodding to Sakura in greeting, too focused on the impending battle for friendly etiquette.

The elder Uchiha's expression immediately hardened at the thought of what was to come. Night raids could be particularly dangerous, especially in forests as deep as the ones near the Fujita family's lands and especially if Hashirama was among the combatants. He had learned the hard way, specifically at the battle of Biei, to try to avoid fighting Hashirama in the forest.

Madara hadn't exactly planned on setting the forest ablaze during that fight but it had worked out in his favor. Even if that particular event had sparked the rumor that Sakura had first heard of him from and even if it had resulted in the maps needing to be redrawn. Again.

The wild haired Uchiha nodded to Sakura in farewell, noticing her concerned expression, before he turned to follow his brother out of her warm home. He didn't have time to ask her what the look was about even though he had wanted to. He still had to don his armor before they left and every minute was important.

"Wait!" Sakura suddenly called out as he passed the threshold into her living room and clinic. He took a half step back and peered around the corner as Izuna continued outside.

He had a moment to absorb her worried expression before it morphed into decisiveness. "Should I come with you?"

Madara felt his expression soften at her offer as surprise coursed through him. He wondered if she asked because she worried for them or because she had accepted to join war parties on occasion when they produced her contract. By the concern still shining through her expression, he assumed the former.

He felt a surge of affection for her as he smiled and answered "Not this time. But perhaps you could keep an eye on things while we're gone?"

Based on Sakura's determined expression and the serious nod she sent him, he should have expected what he came home to that morning.

* * *

 _A/N: To see the_ _ _amazing fanart made for my stories, to read bonus scenes, and to see more fun stuff, check out my Tumblr (Astroavis). And don't forget to leave a review if you're enjoying the story or to drop off your theories for where it's going! I always love to hear from readers.__

 _Alright, for favorite foods..._

 _Inarizushi, Madara's favorite food (from one of the Naruto databooks), "is a kind of sushi or rice ball. Sushi rice is stuffed in seasoned Aburaage tofu pouches [sweet, deep fried tofu skin]. Inarizushi is technically sushi, but it is not something you order at nice sushi restaurants. It is easily found at supermarket delis [...] Inarizushi is a very casual food [...] it's best eaten right from your hands."_

 _I made up what Izuna's favorite food is. Tonkatsu is "a Japanese food which consists of a breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet." More deep fried stuff. I think that Uchiha love junk food. (I get the feeling Sasuke really does love sweets but denies himself as a kid because Itachi did as well.)_

 _Sakura's favorite foods are also from the databooks. Umeboshi are pickled ume (plums). Anko dumplings/dango are small balls made of rice flour which are then skewered in rows of three-four. Sweetened red bean paste (the level of sweetness varies) is then poured over the skewered dumplings and served. Anmitsu is like a sweet jelly/jello made from seaweed or algae and is generally served with fruit._


	14. Crush

_A/N: I've gotten a few questions about my cute, mischievous little Kurumi and what she looks like. I envision her as looking like a dark morph Egyptian Mau (excuse me while I use reptile terms for a cat). Like an Egyptian Mau with primarily dark brown fur and the familiar Mau black pattern with white accents around her mouth. And, of course, green eyes that perfectly match Sakura's (although neither will ever notice). I'll be posting a picture to my tumblr (Astroavis) to give a better visual representation._

* * *

The night raid had gone extremely well.

There had been a small battalion of Senju waiting for them but the force had contained neither Hashirama nor Tobirama. The battle had been swift and decisive with Madara and Izuna leading the strike force of Uchiha.

They had been so successful, in fact, that none of those in his squadron of warriors had been injured enough to necessitate a meeting with their pink haired healer when they returned. None wanted to bother her with their minor wounds, instead opting to wrap them on their own before they returned to their lands.

As they ran back towards the Uchiha's holdings, the sun rising behind them and basking them in it's warm glow, Madara noticed that something was off. The scouts that patrolled the outer reaches of their lands were making their rounds in a different pattern than before. Not just that but, when he expanded his senses outward to investigate, he could detect an incredibly powerful and unfamiliar chakra signature in their forest.

Madara silently signaled for the group to head towards the intruder and, as they approached, the unknown being altered its path as well and made a beeline towards their group.

When they finally reached a clearing in the forest and Madara's eyes settled on the owner of the strange chakra signature, he nearly laughed aloud. He should have expected Sakura to do this, based on the resolute nod she had given him in response to his offhanded comment that previous night.

Before him stood one of the largest cats he had ever seen in his life, the creature's shoulder blades nearly reaching the tops of the trees it prowled through. If the books he had read as a child which had detailed animals from far away lands (and ones he had secretly revisited to investigate species of cats after Sakura's appearance) were anything to go off of, the feline he now faced was a kind of big cat called a leopard.

A leopard whose lips were pulled back threateningly, it's pupils wide and it's eyes unblinking, as it watched Madara and his strike force emerge from the forest. The growl which emanated from the creature vibrated deep in the Uchiha's chest, the threatening noise sounding more like a rockslide with it's volume.

A few of his clan mates started so hard when they finally saw the summon that they nearly lost their footing in the canopy. They moved to draw their weapons but Madara held a staying hand, silently commanding them to cease, before folding his arms across his chest and waiting.

The leopard prowled forward a few steps, it's footsteps eerily silent despite it's size and it's eyes locked onto Madara's, before it took an experimental sniff of the air. It's fierce expression softened into one of recognition and he watched as the creature slowly blinked and sat on the ground gracefully.

"Ah, greetings, Sir and Lady Uchihas. I have been expecting you," the massive, apparently male feline greeted politely, "My name is Hyo. Lady Sakura has entrusted me with the task of defending your village until your return."

"She did, hmm?" Madara replied with a smirk, "You must be a warrior of great skill for her to entrust you with such a task. I appreciate your unexpected assistance."

The rest of the group of Uchiha eyed the feline summon, some curiously and some warily. They all slowly relaxed as their leader communed with the leopard and as the summon declared that it had been told to the guard the village by their very own prized medic. They all trusted Sakura and tried to extend that trust to the towering feline before them.

"You flatter me with your kind words. I am more than happy to guard the pride that has brought my own pride-mate into their fold," the big cat returned humbly, tilting his head in the semblance of a bow.

"Of course. She is a valued friend and medic. Her presence has been a great relief," Madara answered honestly, finding it somewhat surreal that he was speaking to such an incredibly massive summon so cordially.

"Ah, and for her to have found you, an alpha who refers to her as a friend before a medic. As a companion before a worker. I am satisfied by your warmth," Hyo commented, drawing an embarrassed flush from the Uchiha leader.

Madara had never been referred to as an alpha before… It felt oddly bolstering to be called such by a towering feline such as Hyo.

"As she deserves," he replied once he had gathered his wandering thoughts and tempered his strangely inflating ego, "Thank you for your assistance once again, Hyo. I'll inform Sakura of our return."

"Very well. Since you have returned, I shall dismiss myself. It has been a pleasure meeting you, Sir Uchiha," the feline summon responded, bowing his massive head in farewell before disappearing in a great burst of smoke.

When the smoke that washed over them dissipated, the elder Uchiha noticed the teasing look his brother was sending him. Madara's small smile immediately morphed into a glare as he recognized the look his brother was giving him.

"Looks like she took your comment pretty seriously, _alpha_. I wonder why that is..." Izuna taunted with a sly grin.

"It's because she's a dedicated shinobi, simple as that. I essentially gave her a mission without considering my words," he growled as he resumed his run into their village, the war party following loyally behind.

"Mhmm, quite dedicated indeed. But to what, I wonder?" Izuna teased as they shot through the canopy before his grin stretched even wider, "Or perhaps to whom?"

Madara simply scowled and increased his pace.

* * *

When the strike force finally arrived in the village and split up, Madara went to locate Sakura before he bothered to remove his armor or weapons. When he found her, perched on the roof of her home with her arms folded and face resolute, he felt another surge of affection for her.

She turned to face him and greeted him with a sleepy smile as he made a graceful leap onto the roof of her home and landed softly on the slanted tiles.

"I didn't expect you to take my words so literally. You should have just gone to bed and let the sentries do their job. It would be best if you were well rested in case some of us had returned injured," he admonished with his arms crossed over his chest, even if he couldn't keep the small smile off of his face.

Her smile immediately turned into a glare as her fists settled on her hips in agitation.

"Well, you shouldn't have said it if you didn't want me to take it seriously! You live in a very different world than me. I…" Sakura's expression lost some of it's edge as she glanced to the roof tiles before her gaze returned to his. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt while you were gone."

Madara felt yet another wave of fondness for her at her words. She had gone out of her way, even going as far as to summon one of her felines, to protect the members of his clan. His family. She had stayed up all night acting as a sentry to keep the ones he loved safe in his absence.

Unbidden, his smile warmed as he took in her sleepy and adorably flustered expression.

"Go get some sleep, Sakura. There's no need to worry," he spoke in a low voice.

Sakura had proved to him then, and over the months she had been their medic, that not only could she be trusted but that she cared about him and his family. The mysterious medic had found herself a place of affection in his guarded heart, no small feat after the dramatic loss of his best friend all those years ago.

"But wait, was anyone hurt?"

Madara just smiled wider, touched by her concern for those who had gone to battle. "Everyone is fine."

"But you have blood on you," she pointed out, taking a step towards him and reaching forward to touch a splatter of blood on the neck of his high collared shirt.

He nearly shivered as her fingertips brushed his clothed collar bone, his sharingan flickering on of its own accord. The world around him became sharp and crisp and the sight of her reaching out to touch him embedded in his mind before his sharingan returned to inactivity in the span of a heartbeat.

"It's not mine," he muttered in a tone deeper than normal as he stared at her concerned expression.

Sakura glanced up at him and, noticing how close they were standing, quickly looked back to her hand touching him.

"Oh…" She slowly pulled back her hand and took a half step back, noticeably avoiding his eyes as a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Good... Are you sure everyone's okay?"

"I'm certain," Madara replied, forcing his voice into it's normal tone rather than clearing his throat, "Get some sleep. Perhaps I'll see you at dinner?"

She smiled at that, her eyes returning to his. "For more of Hitomi's cooking? Deal."

"And not my sterling company?" he asked as he placed a hand over his armored chest, mock offended.

"Your company is just a bonus," she teased in response.

"You wound me."

Sakura's smile turned into something warmer as she looked into his eyes. "I suppose I'll see you then. I should go talk to Hyo first though."

"Ah, yes. The massive leopard that demanded my identity before I could pass into my own lands," Madara teased in response, watching in amusement as her expression morphed into one of shock and embarrassment.

"He didn't…" she gasped, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

He laughed at her horrified reaction, his arms falling to his sides as he relaxed. "No, but he certainly startled a few of my clan during the run back."

"I'm sorry," she apologized immediately, "I thought he'd realize who you all were and leave you alone. I should have known better..."

"It's no trouble. And when we met, he returned to his world. Go get some sleep. I'll see you at dinner," he replied, turning and hopping down from the roof.

As he walked down the trodden path towards his house, he turned to watch her over his shoulder. He observed as Sakura yawned widely, stretching sinuously, and leapt down from her roof to make her way into her house.

As Madara's eyes turned forward and he made his way to his home, he wondered what the odd tingling in his chest was about.

* * *

Sakura laid out her futon and slipped out of the outer layer of her kimono, intending on taking a nap. She yawned widely once again before falling into bed, already blissfully happy to be lying down.

She curled up under the thick comforter, huffing to herself at Madara's reaction to her having stayed up all night to act as a sentry. He shouldn't have said for her to keep an eye on things if he hadn't meant it. This time seemed like an entirely different world for her. A world where children were sacrificed in never ending wars and death could be around any corner.

So of course she had stayed up all night to guard the village and had summoned Hyo to patrol the forest for any intruders. The scouts who had approached her after sensing her entering the forest had been surprised by her plan but had been happy to have the gargantuan leopard summons helping them with their rounds. Even if they had been unnerved by Hyo sniffing them so he could learn 'the scent of an Uchiha'.

As she found a comfortable position curled up on her futon and tried to drift off, her mind replayed the moment she had touched Madara's chest.

Sakura felt ridiculous. Of course he had had blood on him, he had just come back from a battle. But her sleep deprived brain had somehow equated him being splattered in blood to him being injured and she had actually reached out to touch him. The deep baritone of his voice as they stood so close she could feel his body heat had sent a tingle down to her toes.

She covered her face with her hands to muffle her embarrassed groan before dramatically rolling over onto her opposite side. Tugging up her blankets, she covered her face and nestled far into her bedding.

Sleep didn't come easily as Sakura fretted over what she was beginning to feel slowly building in her chest.

* * *

The Uchiha clan traditionally kept birthdays a low key affair. There were so many members of the clan, after all, and any extravagance spent on one clan member would be expected to be spent on another. So, not just out of practicality but to prevent any resentment from developing from one clan member receiving more attention than another, birthdays were generally celebrated with only the closest family members.

Today, on the twenty fourth day of December, just a few short days after the winter solstice, was Madara's twenty-second birthday.

Izuna, the only close family member who Madara had left and who would be the only one celebrate the day of his birth, had gifted him with a new gauntlet for his falconry. The glove was made of much sturdier material than his last, now thoroughly damaged glove and was a thoughtful gift.

Madara had hoped to foist any clan duties onto his little brother so he could spend the day relaxing, more than likely with his current subject of interest: their pink haired medic. It seemed that the universe wouldn't allow him this small reprieve on the day of his birth, however, as a battalion of Senju, including Hashirama and Tobirama, were mobilizing dangerously close to the Uchiha clan's painstakingly hidden village. It wouldn't be long before he would have to go to battle with a war party of Uchiha at his back rather than spending the day relaxing in their medic's home as he had wanted.

Before they left, however, Madara still made sure to stop to speak with Sakura. He knew that he would fight against Hashirama later that day and that Tobirama would be among the force him and his clan faced. He needed her to be well rested in case, or rather when, they returned with wounded.

He knocked on her door and, when she appeared, he could feel a tension in his body that he hadn't even noticed ease.

"Another mission?" Sakura asked, her eyes flicking to his armor and the weapons strapped across his back.

"Yes. We should be gone until morning. I've come to tell you to actually sleep tonight and let the sentries do their job," Madara informed, the corner of his lip quirking up in amusement as her eyes narrowed at him.

"I told you, you shouldn't have told me to keep an eye on things if you didn't actually want me to," she returned with a glower, her fists perching on her hips.

"And I've learned how literal you can be. Do try to get some rest tonight in case we return with injured."

"Well, try not to get stabbed or anything while I'm not there," she huffed in response, her glare deepening.

He smirked openly at her, amused by her catty concern for him. "I'll try my best."

As he began to walk away, she hesitantly called out to him in a soft voice. "But, seriously…"

He turned to face her with a curious expression, the chain holding his gunbai and kama together clinking together at the movement. Her eyes were trained on the ground as she appeared to struggle for words.

When Sakura's gaze met his once again, he was struck by the cute blush that decorated her hesitant expression. "Please be safe, Madara..."

Madara smiled openly at her, a sense of warmth flooding him at her words and as she spoke his name so familiarly, even with her shyness. He could feel her affection as readily as if she had wrapped her arms around him.

"I will."

* * *

This battle had not gone well.

Madara and his brother had expected a much smaller group of Senju and, despite the large force they had taken, they had been outnumbered. He suspected that this was to be revenge for the deaths of the Senju's clansmen just a few days prior but could still sense Hashirama's hesitance in their battle nonetheless.

Even with his disdain for _tactical retreats_ , he knew that they had been out maneuvered and had no other option. More than that, he couldn't allow the injured Uchiha currently being carried back into their lands to die.

Two had fallen victim to Senju swords and struggled to stay awake with the blood they had lost and continued to lose, even with their wounds tightly wrapped. The more concerning case, however, was his unconscious and horribly burned family member who had been caught in a direct blast from a paper bomb. She barely clung to life even as her boneless body failed to cling to the Uchiha carrying her.

They had nearly knocked down the fusuma leading into Sakura's clinic in their hurry to get them to her. Her, having heard the racket they made entering her dimly lit house, had emerged from her bedroom in a flurry, still dressed in her pale green nemaki.

She had taken one look at the injured Uchiha coating her futons with blood and charred flesh before she began running through a set of hand signs that Madara recognized immediately.

He was surprised when water from the air itself coalesced into the shape of Sakura, forming two water clones. He felt the humidity drop immediately as she harvested the humidity to form her clones, a feat in and of itself. He figured that she must have a water chakra nature to be able to accomplish such a thing so easily and wondered what other jutsu she had taught herself from her daily trips to their library.

"Both of you, keep them stable," Sakura ordered her copies, pointing at the two Uchiha with wounds still leaking blood through the layers of bandages as she rushed to the side of the severely burned kunoichi.

Madara was once again surprised as the clones she had created used medical jutsu to work on his clan mates.

Knowing that his family members were in capable hands, he dismissed the rest of the strike force who lurked on Sakura's engawa and in her yard. They left swiftly and without hesitation, every last one of them trusting their medic after having been tended to by her at some point or another and after her show of defending their village during the last battle.

He shared a moment of silent communication with Izuna who nodded at him in return before leaving as well, closing the fusuma behind him. Madara took a seat leaning against the wall, unwilling to leave the sides of his injured clansmen.

He watched as Sakura continued her healing and as the blackened flesh of his injured family member slowly transformed into fresh skin. As the chakra the medic had given her clones faded to nothing, the clones disappeared in small bursts of water. The Uchihas that had suffered from the sword wounds appeared stable with the help they had received from the clones, allowing the original to finish working on her most pressing case without concern.

As she finished healing Madara's once severely burned clan mate and gave her a tincture to ward off infection, he heard her quietly thank the medic. She smiled in response and told her to remain for the night before moving on to her next patient, finishing up what her clones could not.

As Madara watched her work, the exhaustion from the run to the battlefield, the battle itself, and the frantic sprint home finally began to take its toll. Her warm, dimly lit home did nothing to help keep him awake, instead easing him into a state of relaxation.

Despite the struggles he had been forced to bear that day – the battle against the Senju, the fight with Hashirama, and nearly losing the lives of more of his clanmates – Sakura had been there to help. Even though the celebration of the day of his birth hadn't been ideal by any stretch of the imagination, he was grateful for the present she had unknowingly given him: peace of mind knowing his family was safe in her hands.

A fine birthday gift indeed.

Madara's eyes slowly slid shut, the scent of flowers and the calming sound of her healing jutsu lulling him to sleep.

* * *

After Sakura finished with her final patient, feeding him an antimicrobial tincture and telling him to remain for the night, she did a final scan of her other two, already sleeping patients.

She was more grateful than ever that she had taken the time to teach herself the Water Clone Jutsu, the scroll for which she found in the library. Even if the jutsu had left puddles of water on her floor that she threw rags on to sop up. If not for that technique and her making sure that her clones could utilize medical jutsu, she would have been forced to choose who would have lived and who would have died that night. The woman with severe burns and bits of shrapnel littering her body or the two Uchiha with gushing puncture wounds.

Sakura remembered a time in which Naruto had, unsuccessfully, tried to teach her the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a jutsu which would have been infinitely more helpful as it required no medium to base the clone upon. However, in between Naruto's vague, nonsensical analogies, broad, frantic gesturing, and propensity for using noises to describe actions, the attempt had been a lost cause from the start.

She wished now that she had asked Kakashi to teach her the jutsu instead as the technique would be infinitely more helpful to have under her belt during her time in the past.

As it was now, shadow clones or not, all three of her patients would be cleared to leave the next morning. The patient with the burns would need to spend the next few days on bedrest as her new skin adjusted to stretch comfortably over her body, but she would live.

Sakura slid open the folding screens quietly, partitioning her patients off from one another and giving them a bit of privacy as they slept.

Once done, her eyes drifted to Madara who sat in the same position he had for most of the night, leaned up against the wall of her clinic. He sat cross legged with his head tilted forward as if in thought, his hands loosely resting on his thighs. She noticed from this distance that there were a few minor burns on his hands, revealed by the holes burned through his gloves, and deep purple, nearly black, bruises on his forearms.

Deciding that she would tend to the normally inconsequential wounds, despite her own exhaustion from using so much chakra on her once critical patients, she padded across the tatami mats to kneel next to him. When he didn't stir and when she noticed his deep, even breathing, she realized that he was asleep.

A soft smile lit up her face when Sakura realized that he was comfortable enough and trusted her enough to fall asleep in her home. She was touched that an understandably distrustful man such as himself, and a ninja of his caliber, had fallen asleep in her living room.

Careful not to disturb him, she placed a gentle hand on the back of his wrist and began to heal his wounds. Madara stirred momentarily at the sensation, his eyes flickering open halfway to see what was happening. His half lidded gaze met hers for a moment before a sleepy smile pulled at his lips and he closed his eyes once again.

Sakura blushed heavily at the sight of his sleepy expression and his soft smile, nearly faltering in her healing as she did so. Her heart pounded in her chest as she forced her eyes down to his minor wounds.

She had known that he was handsome since the day she first saw him from across the battlefield but she had thought little of it… at first. As the days went on and as she spent nearly every day in his company, however, she had felt her feelings begin to change. Ever since the other day, when she had reached out to touch the blood splatter on his collarbone and he had responded in such a deep, attractive tone, she had finally been able to admit to herself that she had a bit of a crush on him.

A stupid, illogical, impossible crush.

She knew Madara's future, what he would one day be. That he was one of the future founders of her village. That he would one day abandon Konoha. That he would one day die at the hands of the first Hokage in a battle that would be immortalized in massive stone statues.

Sakura knew that she couldn't act on her crush, no matter how seemingly perfect he was. Even though she had already delved far into the Uchiha's library and hadn't found anything of merit, she knew that she would one day find a way to return home. To return to a time where the man she had come to… _like_ very much was long dead.

It would never work. Could never work.

Not to mention the fact that any… relation they may have had the potential for dramatically altering the future.

But despite all the logic in the world, she had a crush on him. A man who placed his family above all things, who was undoubtedly a genius, who treated her with the utmost respect, who went out of his way to spend time with her and get to know her… A man who was so stupidly attractive that sometimes she couldn't help but stare.

Like now.

Sakura used the opportunity of Madara being asleep and her healing his wounds to take a good look at his face. Even in the dim light, her eyes had adjusted so she could see him clearly. Her eyes greedily raked across his face, taking in everything she couldn't when he was awake. His built, angular jawline. His thin lips. His sharp but crooked nose, more than likely from being broken one too many times. His unfairly thick eyelashes. Even the bags under his one visible eye, the other shrouded by his raven hair.

This close, she could make out a handful of silvery scars dotting his jaw and cheekbone. One in particular, which dipped diagonally from the angle of his jaw to his Adam's apple, drew her attention specifically. Not much deeper and that faint scar would have been a fatal wound, cutting across his neck in such a way. It seemed strange that a ninja of his caliber had ever come so close to death. It was a reminder to her that even he was just a man, albeit one of the most skilled shinobi of all time.

She wanted to ask him where he had gotten the scar from. She wanted to know the story of the person he had once faced who had been skilled enough to nearly take his life. How old had he been when he got the scar? Had he still been a child? Had he gotten it from the future First Hokage?

She probably never would ask, however, embarrassed that she had observed him so closely.

Her healing long since done, Sakura pulled her hand away from his wrist, her fingertips buzzing from the brief skin to skin contact. He didn't stir at the movement, now very much asleep. She hovered next to him for a long few moments, still basking in his appearance and the scent of ash, smoke, and battle that clung to him.

She noticed a stray hair from Madara's bangs had fallen in front of his one visible eye and she unconsciously reached up to brush it back into place. She froze immediately when she realized what she had been about to do, her hand halfway to his face and a hot blush spreading across her cheeks. She quickly pulled back and stood, glancing at her patients to make sure they hadn't witnessed what had almost happened.

Sakura knew that she should wake Madara so he could go home but felt terrible about disturbing his apparently much needed rest. Instead, she grabbed a blanket from one of the futons in the closet in her bedroom and brought it out. Very carefully, she wrapped it around his shoulders, blushing heavily once again as his hair brushed across his hands and as the close proximity brought his intoxicating scent to her once again.

Stepping away from all four sleeping Uchiha, Sakura padded into the kitchen and formed the hand seals she needed for a summoning. She nipped her thumb to draw a droplet of blood before placing her hand on the counter and drawing forth Kurumi.

"Hi, Saku-!" Kurumi immediately started before Sakura quickly shushed her.

"What's wrong? Are there enemies nearby?" the young feline whispered, her gaze flicking across the quiet kitchen suspiciously as she searched for any opponents.

"No, no. I just need you to do me a favor. And be quiet about it, please. People are sleeping," Sakura explained quietly, wobbling on her feet as her low chakra levels began to take their toll.

"What is it?" the tiny, dark furred feline asked with a tilt of her head.

"I got a few patients tonight that weren't doing so well. They're staying over for the night, but I need you to keep an eye on them and wake me up if anything happens."

The cat nodded resolutely, agreeing to her sudden job as medical assistant.

"Oh, and Madara is here to, so don't wake him up. I know how you like his hair," Sakura chuckled quietly, smirking down at Kurumi.

"Well, yes. It's warm and soft, who wouldn't like it?"

Sakura blushed at the second hand knowledge that his hair was soft, remembering how close she had come to brushing his bangs from his face. Kurumi seemed to take notice, watching her curiously.

"Can I trust you to do this for me?"

"Sure!" Kurumi responded at her normal volume.

When Sakura blearily eyed her in reprimand, the feline pulled her ears back and winced before she corrected her volume. "Sure. I'll wake you up if anything happens."

Without another word, Kurumi jumped down from the counter and silently padded into the clinic. Sakura shook her head, a small smile stretching across her face, as she made her way back to her bedroom.

* * *

Madara woke later that night to the familiar yet startling sensation of Kurumi trying to wiggle her way underneath his hair and into the crook between the side of his neck and the high collar of his armor.

He woke with a jolt and a sharp intake of air, startling the cat from her would-be perch. He stared at the feline summon trying to gaze at him innocently, piecing together his surroundings as he returned to wakefulness.

"Kurumi," he greeted with a slow blink, momentarily confused by the sensation of his arms being pinned down by the blanket wrapped around him.

Madara pulled the blanket from his shoulders with a bleary stare before a small smile grew as he realized Sakura had wrapped him in it. His heartbeat kicked up a notch as well when her scent, which coated the blanket, washed over him, bringing with it the realization that this blanket had come from her bed.

"Ah, good, er, morning," the summon replied, embarrassed, her tail flicking back and forth idly as she sat down.

The Uchiha forced his attention away from the blanket and to his clan mates, still sleeping peacefully albeit partitioned off by folding screens to give them a sense of privacy.

"What are you doing here?" Madara asked quietly, stretching out from one of the most pleasant naps he had had in years, despite having been woken so suddenly.

"Sakura summoned me to keep an eye on her patients and to wake her up if anything happened," Kurumi explained, glancing over her shoulder to look at the shinobi sleeping soundly.

"And nesting in my hair was your way of keeping an eye on them?" he questioned, resting his chin in his palm as he set his elbow on his knee.

"Well, er..." the feline started, embarrassed at having been caught, "I figured that I could still keep an eye on them and be warm and comfy at the same time."

"You know you fall asleep every time," he admonished, eyeing the feline sternly.

Kurumi's ears came back, her eyes drifting to the floor as her tail came to wrap around her feet.

"I could stay awake…" she muttered, pouting.

"Well, you can certainly stay awake now," he replied, standing.

Madara neatly folded the blanket he had been wrapped in, a smile returning to his face as he thought of the woman who had cared about him enough to cover him after he had fallen asleep.

He remembered when he had woken up briefly to the sensation of her tending to his inconsequential wounds. With her having been so close to him, her distinct scent, like a flower garden after a rainstorm with an indescribable, feminine undertone, had washed over him and left his mind fuzzy from more than just sleep. He had been touched by her concern for him and had smiled at her, even as he felt himself drifting back into sleep to the soothing sensation of her healing and the gentle touch of her fingertips on his wrist.

He had briefly considered, in his half-asleep state, grasping her hand and pulling her into his lap just so he could bury his face in her hair and fall back asleep with her warm scent fogging his senses.

The thought of the bashful look Sakura had given him in return to his smile had heat rising to his cheeks. She may not have known it, but her saving the lives of his clan mates and her affection towards him had made for one of the more enjoyable birthdays of his life.

"What are you doing?" Kurumi asked suddenly as he laid the blanket down on the floor.

"What? Folding the blanket?" the Uchiha responded, raising an eyebrow at her.

"No, what are you doing with your face. I see Sakura doing it sometimes when she looks at you, but I don't know what it is…"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the feline. "What are you talking about?"

"When you make your face get all red. What is that?"

Madara's expression immediately morphed into one of humiliation at having been caught _blushing_ by Sakura's juvenile summon. As he tried to think of a response, his mind tripped over the fact that Kurumi had said sometimes Sakura blushed when looking at him.

"It, uh… It's…" he muttered, trying to gather his thoughts and explain it in a way that would satisfy the cat's curiosity without incriminating himself, "Sometimes people do it when they're… happy…"

"Why were you so happy about a blanket?" Kurumi questioned, her feline face pinched in confusion.

 _Shit._ "I'm just happy because…" He wanted to punch himself for what he was about to say but couldn't come up with anything less stupid in such a short time. Mentally cringing, he forced out, "It's a… nice blanket…"

Kurumi stared at him in disbelief before striding forward and stepping onto the folded blanket lying on the floor. She dug her claws into it a couple times, kneading the fabric, before settling down onto it. "Hmm, you're right. This is a nice blanket."

Madara nearly sighed in relief, grateful he had been able to avert that crisis. Albeit in the stupidest, most floundering manner possible. He was grateful his brother wasn't there and his clan mates were asleep. He wasn't sure he'd ever live it down if they had heard his words…

"Don't fall asleep now. You've been tasked with a vital job, looking after my cousins. My family's safety is in your hands," he explained seriously, folding his arms across his chest as he stared down at the young summon.

Kurumi's head immediately perked up and she nodded at the Uchiha resolutely. "Yes, sir!"

Madara smiled at the childish summons before opening the fusuma leading to the outside world, lamenting having to leave Sakura's warm house to walk home through the darkened, frigid streets.

* * *

When Sakura awoke that morning, she found the blanket she had covered Madara with was neatly folded in the corner, her three patients were still sleeping peacefully, and Kurumi was taking her job as medical assistant _very_ seriously.


	15. Dance

_A/N: First off, I'd like to thank everyone for 1,000+ kudos on Archive of Our Own and 500+ reviews of Fanfiction! I never expected my story to get so popular and having so much love and support on both AO3, FF, and Tumblr really means so much to me. I've even been so lucky as to make friends with some amazing people through this story and I feel so fulfilled with your companionship! We have so much more story to go and I hope you all stick around so we can live it together._

* * *

The two Uchiha brothers sat at the low table in the center of their living room as they browsed through the dozens of scrolls, all different colors and sizes, that were neatly arranged along the tabletop. The only sounds that filled the air was the sound of scrolls sliding open and the occasional crackle from the hearth which burned hotly in the heart of the winter season.

The Uchiha clan holdings were far south enough that they didn't receive as much snow as the lands further north did. With the year now winding down into the coldest winter months, however, a soft blanket of snow now covered their lands.

"Hmm. An assassination mission. The sister and son of a merchant were killed by a member of a minor clan during a trade gone awry and she wants retribution," Izuna summarized, his eyes flicking across the mission scroll rolled open on the table in front of him.

"A tragedy we can rectify. Katsurou and Katsumi would be suited for the task. They've been complaining about being given easy missions while they recovered from the poisoning," Madara replied, his own eyes gliding across the scroll in his own hands.

"It has been three months now," the younger Uchiha pointed out with a quirk of his lip, glancing up at Madara in amusement.

The elder nearly rolled his eyes at his brother before returning to reading through the scroll in his hands. The silence continued for a long moment before his eyebrow rose in surprise at what he read on this particular mission request.

"Interesting. A robbery. Someone is interested in the Nakano's family gold stores," Madara summarized in amusement.

Izuna huffed out a laugh, looking to his brother in disbelief. "Truly? Someone didn't do their research. How much are they offering?"

"A fraction of what the Nakano paid us for the last bodyguard mission."

"Hm. Shall we inform Lady Nozomi and see how much she will offer for retribution then?"

The corner of Madara's lip quirked up as he closed the scroll and set it off to the side.

"I believe so. It will reinforce the alliance and her appreciate should bring in a fair amount of-" the elder Uchiha began before a faint tremor ran through their home, cutting off his speech.

The brothers shared an alarmed look before shooting to their feet, abandoning the piles of mission scrolls in favor of locating their weapons. The tremor may have felt far off but they recognized the sensation of the ground shaking even after so many months of having not felt it.

Sakura was battling someone.

Choosing to not waste time donning their armor, they deigned to simply grab their weapons and bolt out the door.

Since both of them wore their leisure clothes, only Izuna could store his katana in the sash wrapped around his waist. Madara on the other hand, who grabbed only his gunbai and left the kama behind, had nothing to secure it to his body. He held it in his hand as they ran, holding it at an angle so the wind resistance didn't slow him down.

Due to honing his sensory skills for so many years, Madara easy located Sakura battling some incredibly fast chakra signature in the forest. As they sprinted through the snow covered trees, their feet leaving nary a mark on the pristine white powder that coated the thick branches, Madara felt anxiety well within him.

Not only was Sakura, their medic and a woman he considered to be a good friend, fighting some unknown foe but none of the scouts patrolling the forest surrounding their village had noticed. Or, worse yet, they had deemed it unimportant enough to not inform him or help her.

The thought of the soldiers he had entrusted with the safety of his home betraying him or Sakura transformed the feelings of worry clenching his heart into rage that had his mangekyo sharingan spinning to life.

Had they abandoned her to die at the hands of some strange shinobi? Did they want her to be killed because of lingering distrust of her as an outsider?

If so, they would be punished harshly.

Another tremor rattled the ground, this time much harsher than the last and followed by a distinct, yet distant, battle cry. The shockwave was so fierce here that trees trembled at their roots and shook free bundles of fine white snow from their branches.

The brothers shared an alarmed look before darting towards the sound of Sakura's cry, Izuna drawing his katana mid leap with the decisive sound of metal on metal. When they arrived in a new clearing in the forest, created by their medic's superhuman strength, Madara's mangekyo sharingan took in the environment with lightning fast speed.

Trees were snapped at their bases, jagged splinters displaying how roughly they had been toppled. The snowy ground had been upheaved, brown and white mixed haphazardly, in a way that brought back memories of the first time he had seen her in all of her glory.

As his eyes shot across the field, he finally caught sight of her and his breath caught in his chest. Just as it had when he first saw her, time slowed down for an instant to allow him to take her all in.

Sakura wore an expression of focus and fury, her eyebrows furrowed in rage and her lips pulled back over her teeth in a semblance of a snarl. She carried an uprooted tree in her arms and was in the middle of a downward swing, preparing to crush whatever was beneath her with the most unusual weapon he had ever seen utilized.

Forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the goddess of war before him, his gaze fell upon her opponent.

Madara nearly sighed in disappointment in himself when he realized that Sakura wasn't fighting some unknown shinobi or some dangerous foe intent on taking her life. His mangekyo sharingan immediately morphed to his regular sharingan before his bloodline trait returned to inactivity.

The scouts who patrolled the forest hadn't abandoned her to death. Instead, Sakura was sparring, albeit with a ruthlessness he had only witnessed when he sparred with his brother, with her panther summon Kuro.

In his concern for her, he hadn't examined Kuro's chakra signature closely enough to realize that Sakura hadn't been in any danger at all. He had simply felt the tremor, sensed that she was battling someone in the forest, and leapt to his own conclusions in his worry for her.

And here he was, standing in his house clothes in the gods awful snow, watching as Sakura apparently tried her damndest to smash her feline companion with a fir.

He felt like a fool.

"I always wanted to see her actually fighting someone," Izuna commented next to him as he sheathed his katana, watching with interest as the lightning fast panther effortlessly dodged Sakura's undoubtedly lethal strike. The ground trembled with the force of her swing, rattling them both down to their bones.

His little brother turned to give him a knowing look, one eyebrow quirked up in a taunting manner.

 _He knew._

Madara huffed in response, his breath forming a cloud in the frigid air, and rested his gunbai on the tree branch with more force than necessary. The action dislodged a sheet of snow from the limb which hit the ground with a soft thump.

At the sound of Izuna's voice, Sakura halted her attacks on the panther to gaze up at the Uchiha brothers perched in the canopy above them. Kuro, who also stood down, greeted the two with a silent nod.

Sakura, whose face had betrayed her fight just a moment previously and who still panted with exertion from her spar, gave them both an easy, warm smile. Madara felt his heart quicken in response and couldn't stop his returning grin.

"I thought we spoke about not demolishing the landscape?" Madara teased, leaning against his gunbai as he gazed down at the kunoichi still holding the tree in his arms.

She smirked in response, dropping the tree onto the forest floor with a dull boom so she could perch her fists on her hips. "I seem to remember our agreement was that I wouldn't destroy the _training fields_. I figured that the forest wouldn't be a problem."

The elder clan head laughed in response to her catty remark. "If you're so set on destruction, perhaps you would like to dance with us?"

The kunoichi's mouth came open as if to speak but she struggled for the words for a moment.

"I have wanted to spar with you ever since I saw the destruction you left behind at the Nakano's holdings," Izuna agreed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps you should. It would be beneficial to fight those of your own kind," Kuro commented, drawing Sakura's attention away from the two Uchiha.

"You're just mad because I almost crushed you with that tree," she taunted.

Kuro's eyes narrowed as he released a disgruntled growl. "You missed me by a considerable margin."

Sakura laughed at her grouchy partner before giving him a good natured smile indicating that she was only teasing. As the panther went about grooming his paws and righting the fur mussed by the battle, the medic turned to face Madara and Izuna.

"Would you guys really be up for that?" Sakura began before coyly continuing, "I'm not sure I'd be much of a challenge compared to you two..."

"Your attempts at being humble won't work on us, Sakura," Izuna returned.

"Neither of you even have your armor on," she added, eyeing their leisure clothes.

"Coming from the woman wearing a kimono," Madara replied with a smirk, gesturing towards her with his gunbai.

Sakura laughed at that, her amusement sounding like tinkling bells to the elder Uchiha's ears. "Very true."

"Are you ready then?" she continued as she fell into a defensive crouch, her eyes narrowing in challenge even as her smile remained.

Izuna drew his katana once again with a playful grin as Madara readied his gunbai.

"Whenever you are," the elder Uchiha purred, thrilled to finally face the kunoichi in combat after months of curiosity.

After all, she had taken his favorite phrase and integrated it into her entire fighting style. Every strike she made was an armour-sleeved single hit, a one hit kill.

* * *

Sakura was well aware of her skill in battle. She was easily jonin level and had the vita to prove it. She had taken down Sasori of the Red Sand (albeit with vital assistance from Chiyo), she had killed one of Pain's giant centipede summons with one strike, she had easily dispatched two separate clans during their battle royale when she first appeared in the past, she had defeated members of the Fuma clan during two individual ambushes, she had thwarted numerous attempts on her merchant clients' lives during her stints as a caravan guard, and she had single-handedly taken on a strike force of fourteen Senju.

She was well aware of her capabilities.

She was also, however, well aware of the skill levels of her sparring partners. While she knew that she had been outclassed by the two Uchiha, she had no idea it was by such a wide margin.

The brothers had been testing her more than anything else during their fight while she had been trying her damndest, chakra powered strikes and all, just to land a solid hit. Every strike she made was neatly dodged, the only thing to make contact with her opponents being the shockwaves in the air and the earth from her attacks. If she could land just one hit, it would be over, but they were both just _too damn fast_.

And of course that damn Kuro had stayed out of the fight in its entirety, deigning to instead watch with an amused glint in his eyes as she tried her damndest just to catch even one of the infuriating brothers.

The only thing that brought her any comfort was the fact that she had been able to evade the blows they tried to hit her with, dodging having been the first skill she learned as a medical ninja. More than that, it was obvious they were avoiding getting too close to her, the two knowing to stay out of her immediate reach lest they contend with one of her augmented strikes.

Even with her pride in having avoided all of their attacks, the battle had degraded into an infuriating game of cat and mouse that left her wanting to tear her hair out.

Sakura had landed one hit in the entirety of their fight and she was positive that Madara had allowed it. He had blocked her chakra fueled punch with his gunbai and the damn thing hadn't even _cracked_. While she had skidded him back a few dozen feet, she had been so baffled by the fact his weapon hadn't been damaged at all that he had gotten off a fire jutsu into the trees above her. The snow in the treetops above her had melted when the flames touched them and had absolutely soaked her to the bone with hot water.

Both brothers had laughed mirthfully at her soaking wet form and, in her fury, she had slammed her foot into the ground and created a crater which spanned a hundred feet.

Seeing Izuna's arms windmill around to find his balance in the explosion of snow and rock had been amusing until the elder Uchiha had snuck up behind her in the chaos. At a speed she couldn't react to, he had plucked one of her kunai from the obi around her waist and loosely held it to her throat, signifying his win.

Sakura glared at him with all she was worth as he dropped his chin over the edge of her shoulder so he could grin down at her. She was panting, dragging air into her lungs like her life depended on it, and he hadn't even broken a sweat. She had gotten a grueling workout just chasing down the elusive brothers and demolishing a portion of the forest and they weren't even winded.

"I hate you both," Sakura grumbled, angrily crossing her arms across her soaking wet middle.

Madara simply chuckled next to her ear, the sound making her heart rate ramp up even further, as he removed the kunai from her neck and stepped around to face her. Still smirking, he handed her her kunai handle first and she plucked it from his hand, depositing it back into her obi with a huff.

Sakura had heard stories of their, or at least Madara's, prowess in battle but this was just ridiculous. She hadn't even gotten to see them at their full capacity, the brothers relying almost entirely on their speed during their maddening game, and she could only imagine how powerful they both must truly be.

She realized that she shouldn't be too surprised. Madara would one day go on to be one of the founders of Konoha and both of them were the clan heads of one of the strongest clans in the world at the time.

"What is that thing even made of?" Sakura demanded, her face the picture of disgruntlement, as she jabbed a finger at the gunbai in Madara's hands.

The elder Uchiha just smirked at her again before tapping on the decidedly wooden sounding weapon. "Oh, this? Nothing special."

She just leveled him with a flat stare, beginning to shiver as the hot water she had been soaked with rapidly cooled off in the winter air. Just as Sakura had been about to demand to know how his weapon had survived her strike, Izuna leapt down from one of the toppled oaks to stand at her side.

"Wow, Sakura, I'm impressed," he complimented with a grin, drawing a wry stare from her.

"With what? I didn't even hit either of you, besides Madara blocking my punch with his _nothing special gunbai_ ," she replied, shooting a glare towards Madara.

"That's just because you're not as fast as us. If you work on your speed, you'll give us a run for our ryo in no time," the young clan head explained before his expression became sheepish, "You're, ah... actually kind of a frightening."

"Sure, sure," Sakura grumbled in response, tightening her arms around her middle as another shiver ran through her.

"We should get back to the village before you freeze over," the elder Uchiha commented, watching as she shivered.

"No thanks to you!" she immediately yelled back, pointing an accusing finger at the man who used a fire jutsu to dump a canopy of snow worth of water on her.

Madara didn't even have the decency to look ashamed, instead laughing outright and gesturing towards the direction of the village in a way that said 'ladies first'.

Sakura grumbled to herself before taking off into the trees, a silently amused Kuro following and the Uchiha brothers trailing behind with barely restrained chuckles.

* * *

Frozen to her core, Sakura decided that today would be the day that she would finally take advantage of the Uchiha's onsen. The thought of a hot soak, while wearing a kimono that was now iced over, sounded like bliss.

She stopped by her house briefly to check to see if she had any patients and to gather supplies for her bath. Finding no patients, she collected a change of clothes and a bag she filled with her soaps, a small tub, a towel, and a washcloth. While she gathered her supplies, Kuro quietly excused himself, returning to his own world.

When she arrived at the onsen, she happily entered into the women's changing room, passing through the hanging red curtain and into an already warm room lined with cubbies. She tucked her fresh set of clothes into a basket before stripping off her icy kimono and stowing it away.

Grabbing her bag of toiletries, she strode into the showers and made quick work of washing away all of the grime and adjusting her frozen skin to the hot water. Once done, she gathered her toiletries back into her bag to set aside and rinsed her stool. Grabbing the small towel she had brought to maintain her modesty in front of the Uchiha women, she held it to her front and headed into the bathing area...

Only to freeze in her tracks.

Sakura's disbelieving gaze flitted across the large bathing area, taking note of the multiple baths set out. One was shallow, more than likely for the children of the clan. Another was larger and put off no steam and was assumedly the cold bath, a bath designed to allow people to reset their body temperature. The final, however, was the deepest and was not only the one putting off steam but was the one she sought.

And also one that already had two guests which were decidedly not of the female sex and were decidedly two people she had _not_ wanted to interact with in such a personal setting.

Sakura realized with no small amount of horror that the onsen was indeed mixed bathing and nearly slapped herself for not realizing it earlier. Of course it was... This was a clan's onsen, not a public one. Everyone was family here so no one had to worry about peeping toms like that pervert Jiraiya.

The only reason she didn't immediately turn back into the changing rooms was because she refused to be frightened away from an undoubtedly blissful soak in the steaming hot water by the two infuriating Uchiha clan heads. She would be damned before either of the brothers thought she was a coward or ashamed.

She strode up to the steaming pool of water with purpose and locked eyes with the two men already chest deep in the water, her face on fire. The two Uchiha brothers stared right back, both of their expressions ones of amusement.

Madara looked completely relaxed as he leaned back against the edge of the pool. His wild hair was pulled up into a high ponytail which revealed his neck and his muscled shoulders. Izuna looked to be close to sleep with nearly the entirety of his body submerged, his head tilted back against the rim of the pool and his towel draped over his forehead. His equally long hair was tied in a loose bun on the top of his head, a few stray hairs sticking to his heated skin.

"So... Mixed bathing, huh?" Sakura commented in a tone higher than normal, her hand keeping a death grip on the towel that suddenly felt far too thin and far too small.

"We are a clan, after all," Madara commented with a lazy smirk, adjusting the high ponytail he had thrown his hair into so it stayed out of the water.

"Have you never been in a mixed bath before?" Izuna questioned curiously as his eyes slid shut in relaxation.

"When I was a child, yes. My village had a problem with peeping toms though, so most baths were separated," she explained, giving the men a pointed stare, "Speaking of…"

The two, polite enough to give the only non-Uchiha in the village her privacy, looked away. Sakura stripped off her towel, laying it on the rim of the bath, before dipping her feet into the steaming water. She shivered in pleasure, the heated water already working on the tense muscles in her legs, before sinking into the water completely.

She should have been embarrassed by the sound of delight she made as she finally submerged in the pool but couldn't find it in her to care. Even with her unwanted audience, the euphoria from finally taking a hot bath after what felt like years made her indifferent.

"Safe to look now," Sakura hummed in satisfaction, reaching back to fold her towel into a small square which she perched on the top of her head.

When the men's wide eyed gazes returned to her, their cheeks were painted with furious blushes. She thought she caught sight of Madara's eyes glancing down at what little skin of hers that wasn't hidden by the water but played it off as the steam playing tricks on her eyes.

The elder Uchiha cleared his throat.

"First time here, I'm assuming?" Madara commented, as she leaned back to rest comfortably against the rim of the pool.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. I just never got around to it with how busy I've been," Sakura replied before glowering at Madara, "I guess it just felt like the right time after nearly _freezing to death in the woods_."

He chuckled at her and Sakura nearly dunked her face into the steaming water to hide the blush on her cheeks, instead deigning to look away from the Uchiha. She should have just bathed at home. At least then she could have avoided this entire embarrassing situation...

"You would have been fine. You are our medic after all. You can fix anything," Izuna replied, stretching out his notably well muscled arms before dunking them back underneath the water with a contented sigh.

"I may be good at what I do but I'm not a goddess. I can't fix everything," Sakura informed with furrowed eyebrows, concerned that they thought she could fix anything.

"I'll believe it when I see it," the younger Uchiha hummed in response, closing his eyes once again as he relaxed.

"I truly hope you never see it. That means I will have lost someone and I haven't lost a patient since…" Her gaze dropped down to the water as her expression became distant, her thoughts returning to the mother who had lost her baby. "Since a patient in one of the merchant cities."

"What happened?" Madara questioned curiously, appearing surprised that Sakura had ever lost a patient.

"I…" the medic started before memories of the grieving woman, clutching the bundle containing her dead, newborn son to her chest, surfaced, swelling her throat and cutting off her words. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The two brothers frowned, Izuna's eyes opening to regard the kunoichi with a piteous expression.

"That bad?" the younger Uchiha questioned softly, taking in Sakura's sullen expression.

"It was one of the saddest moments of my life, if that puts it into perspective. But that's all I want to say about that…" Sakura muttered in response, sinking half of her face into the water miserably.

The three soaked in the steaming waters for a few minutes, the silence becoming more and more uncomfortable. It was the young clan head who broke the tense moment by reaching out beneath the water to kick Sakura's knee with his bare foot.

Sakura yelped in shock, the waters making a harsh wave as she shot across the steaming pool and into the corner. Her hands leapt up to her chest to conceal herself in the shifting waters.

"What the hell was that for?!" she squeaked, a hot blush spreading across her cheeks at having been touched while naked in the pool.

"Stop being so sullen! I wouldn't doubt that you're the best medic in the world. The patient that you lost must have been called back to the afterlife by the gods themselves if you were unable to save them," Izuna asserted fiercely as he finally sat up, leveling her with a determined stare.

Sakura glared back for a moment, torn between fury at having been startled by him kicking her and being touched by his comforting words.

"Not only have you healed your own undoubtedly fatal wounds, but you saved the lives of the Nakano family guards as well as a dozen members of my family. If you lost a patient, then obviously there was nothing that could have been done," Madara added resolutely, folding his arms across his chest.

The medic stared at the two for a long moment, not having expected their comfort and compliments. She huffed lightly, finally leaning back against the corner of the pool and looking down at the waters.

"Well… Thank you…" she muttered, blushing demurely as she glanced back over to the brothers.

Izuna, satisfied with her change of attitude, tilted his head back to rest on the edge of the pool once again, taking in a deep breath as his eyes slid shut and he got comfortable once again.

Sakura was beginning to feel overheated from the steaming waters and her embarrassment. She sighed heavily, feeling as if the steam from the water was starting to go to her head.

"Gods, how long have you two been in here? I already feel overheated," she commented, changing the subject not so subtly.

"What chakra nature are you?" Madara questioned, seemingly at randomly.

"I would imagine water, but I'm not sure. I was never trained to use elemental jutsu so I never used chakra paper to find out..." Sakura answered, her expression pinching into one of confusion.

"You've never used chakra paper?" he asked in disbelief, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Well… When I first really started my training, my sensei focused on my other teammates... I only really began getting the training I needed when I asked Lady Tsunade to be my sensei and she only focused on medical jutsu and taijutsu. I just recently taught myself my first elemental jutsu which was the water clones," she informed with a shrug, trying to not let her hurt over being ignored during her early genin years show.

"We'll have to find some chakra paper to find out then. We're both fire nature, so we can tolerate the baths for some time," the elder Uchiha explained as he sat up higher in the pool so he could comfortably lean back on his elbows.

This time, Sakura couldn't restrain her eyes from flicking down to watch the muscles of his chest and abdomen ripple with the movement. She quickly averted her eyes, blushing furiously and resolutely deciding that she would never tempt the baths again.

"Alright, I'm getting out now," she squeaked, making a circular motion with her finger, silently telling the brothers to turn around. The siblings shook their heads in amusement before averting their eyes once again.

* * *

Sakura had said she wasn't a goddess but Madara was beginning to suspect otherwise. In her clinic and on the battlefield, she was mythical. He had finally gotten a taste of her power earlier that day and just that brief peek had him craving more.

Her skills as a warrior made his heart race.

The feeling of the shockwaves in the air that she created with the overwhelming power of her strikes, the sensation of the ground rumbling beneath his feet from the power of her blows, and the sheer intensity of her presence had him entranced. The fact that he had been skirting death just by being _near_ her on the battlefield had had adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Madara had been so enraptured that he had decided he wanted to feel the strength behind her incredible punches. Anyone else, even him, would have met their end by performing such a irrational move but, with his ability to absorb and even reflect other people's attacks with his gunbai, he had avoided death at her hands.

Deigning not to reflect the blow back at Sakura and reveal that particular skill of his just yet, he had instead absorbed the chakra he had stolen with his weapon. He had been further shocked by how little energy she needed to produce such devastating blows. He had assumed that she utilized a tremendous amount of chakra to produce her explosive strikes but he was startled by how little she used and how efficient she was in using it.

Sakura's single punch had been so powerful that it had thrown him backwards even with him having absorbed the chakra from her strike. Even now, he could still feel how his hands vibrated with the sensation of blocking her extraordinarily lethal punch.

His heart still sung from their brief battle and, no matter what she said, he would not be convinced otherwise: Sakura was a goddess of war.

And, based off of the soft, porcelain expanses of skin that did little to hide the toned muscles of a warrior, she had the body of a goddess as well. Even worse, the pleasured sigh she had released earlier when she had first sunk into the water had gone straight to his head, more so than the steam ever would.

Madara had begun to wonder if the kunoichi before him was truly real at all, her appearance in his life being one that was constantly overlaid with shock and amazement...

He gave her a few long moments to exit the bath and to wrap herself up as best she could in her tiny towel. When he heard the tell tale sound of her footsteps heading away from them, his eyes returned to her.

"Sakura," Madara called out, Sakura turning to face him with a curious look on her face and an increasing death grip on the towel that barely maintained her modesty.

"Perhaps tomorrow we could train together again," he suggested with a smirk, actively restraining himself from raking his eyes across her form.

"So you can dump a bunch of water on me again?" Sakura huffed in response, glowering at him adorably.

"Perhaps you could dodge next time." Her glare intensified at that and his smile widened. "I enjoyed the challenge of facing you and we could all do with a new challenge."

"If you just work on your speed a bit, we will be on even ground soon enough," Izuna added, eyes still closed, "Although I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to crush us next time…"

She watched them for a moment before a small smile built on her face. "Maybe I will."

Sakura turned on her heels before striding away, her sudden confidence putting a swing in her barely concealed hips that Madara found unbearably attractive.

For a moment, he struggled internally. He could hardly bare the thought of not having the memory of her barely clad form sauntering away burned into his mind forever. However, he had been taught to be respectful to women since the day he was born and the thought of being such a lecher as to activate his sharingan to memorize her left him at odds with himself.

With her soon to be out of eyesight, he momentarily abandoned his inhibitions and slyly activated his bloodline limit, nearly purring in satisfaction as her stunning form was not only ingrained into his memory but in such vivid detail that he could make out each individual curve underneath her thin towel.

Madara leaned farther back into the water with a small, satisfied smile, too overwhelmingly contented with the next piece of the puzzle that was Sakura - that she was unbelievably attractive - to be bothered by his deceased, staunch father's voice berating him in his head.

When her gentle chakra signature finally retreated from the quiet bathhouse, informing the brothers that she was now gone, Izuna chuckled aloud.

"I saw that," his little brother teased with his eyes still closed, a taunting grin spread across his face.

Madara immediately glared at his younger brother before hissing, "You saw _nothing_."

"I sure did see something, you pervert," he laughed, his laughter being cut off when the elder Uchiha harshly dunked him beneath the steaming waters.


	16. Thunderstorm

As the months passed, winter slowly made way for spring. Madara watched as the snow cleared away, flowering vegetation taking its place. The sound of curious fledgelings filled the air alongside the scent of the flowers from the blooming grove of plum trees. Soon enough the field of cherry blossom trees, Sakura's namesake, at the southernmost part of his holdings would flower as well.

The cold washed away under the sunshine of clear days, the afternoons of warm sunlight only interspersed by sudden thunderstorms.

It was during one of these thunderstorms that Madara found himself at Sakura's home, shoulder to shoulder on her engawa as they watched the storm unfold together. The thrum of heavy rain drop hitting the overhang protecting them from the rain made a soothing backdrop to the peaceful moment.

They both nursed cups of hot tea, Madara cupping his glass in his palms to absorb the warmth, steaming swirling around his hands. Sakura's own cup remained planted on the engawa at her side, her attention drawn to the rain and the lightning instead.

Despite it being the middle of the day, the water laden clouds completely obscured the sun and forced them to rely on the warm light from a few strategically placed paper lanterns to see. Even protected from the wind, the candles within the lanterns flickered, playing with the shadows on her face.

"This is the fourth storm just this month... Is it common for it to rain like this here?" Sakura asked, leaning in close so he could hear her over the rain.

"This is actually quite a rare occurrence for this time of year..." he explained as he drew closer to her before teasing, "Did you bring the storms with you, Sakura?"

Sakura laughed in response. "Perhaps I did. I need to do something to keep you fire users on your toes."

He shook his head in amusement as he leaned back against the wooden siding of her house, bringing his cup to his lips to take a sip from his still hot tea. They watched curiously as yet another lightning bolt hit the trees in the forest surrounding them.

"One and a half miles," Madara called out while Sakura already began to count the number of seconds on her hand.

"No way, two miles at least," she insisted instead as she counted.

When the boom of thunder finally reached them after Sakura had counted eight seconds on her fingers, the Uchiha leveled her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes as she reached down to pluck her cup off of the engawa with feigned nonchalance.

"What is that now... eight to three? Shouldn't you be better at gauging distances?" he teased, gently nudging her with his shoulder.

She patted his arm with her free hand as she leaned back against the side of her home, cup of tea in hand. "Not all of us have eyes like yours, cheater."

"I did no such thing!" Madara asserted in mock offense, trying to keep the smile from spreading across his lips at having been caught.

When Sakura simply turned to look up at him with a knowing smirk, the Uchiha was unable to restrain his own smile any longer.

"How about we just call it a tie then?" she suggested before taking a sip from her tea, looking up at him through her bangs as she drank.

"I suppose we could settle with that," he sighed, as if doing such a thing was a favor to her more than anything else. When she nudged him with her shoulder in return, his smile returned.

The two fell into an easy silence, watching as more lightning bolts landed in the forest around them. The calming backdrop of the heavy rain and reverberating thunder lulled the Uchiha into a sense of calm that was only made that much more comfortable by the warm presence at his side.

After a few minutes of comfortable quiet, Madara looked over to his companion to mention a passing thought. When he noticed the faint smile gracing her lips as she watched the lightning bolts strike the forest around them, he paused. For a handful of heartbeats, he was transfixed on her profile - on her smile, lit up by the flickering light of the lanterns and the lightning - as she watched the thunderstorm unfold around them.

He watched her as she gazed out at the storm and noticed that, when a bolt struck especially close, her smile would widen. He watched as she reveled in the resounding bass of the thunder reverberating through their chests and gently rattling the fusuma leading into her home.

Sakura was basking in the power of the storm, in the scent of the rain, and the strength of the wind, rather than being intimidated by it. He shouldn't have been surprised. She held more power within herself than this storm held in its entirety.

As the Uchiha observed her profile, he pondered all the things that made her truly one of a kind, the things that had first drawn him to her as a friend. The pieces of the puzzle that was her that he had slowly been collecting to sate his never ending curiosity.

He remembered the first time they had met, of the look she had given him after she had crushed her enemy beneath her fist. She had stared into his eyes without hesitation, without fear. If she had deemed him an enemy, she would have thrown herself at him without abandon to protect her friends. She was powerful and brave.

Madara thought of when she had removed the poison from his then doomed clan mates, saving their lives and saving his family from the agony that came from losing one of their own. Her determination and her focus. She knew what to do, how to save their lives, and had absolute faith in herself. She was confident and skilled.

He recalled when him and Izuna had sent their personal cook, Hitomi, to Sakura as a test. The woman had been suffering from her limp, brought on by a too early pregnancy, and they had wanted to see what Sakura would do when presented with an injured party without being prompted to heal them. She had tended to Hitomi without question and the cook had returned to prepare their dinner with a skip in her unhindered step. Sakura was friendly and compassionate.

The Uchiha could remember the numerous training sessions they now spent together. After their first dance in the woods that snowy winter day, she had taken him up on his offer to train with him and and his brother. Now, she trained with them nearly every day, much to his, and Izuna's, glee.

At first they had played with her, going easy on her so she could benefit from their matches, before tearing into one another with their usual reckless abandon (luckily she always remained to heal them afterwards, despite her scoldings). Slowly but surely, her speed and skill increased. Sakura began landing hits and she began to challenge them both. She had pushed herself to the point where she would stand on equal footing with them soon enough. She was determined and indomitable.

Madara thought of how, in the five short months she had been with them, she had read through nearly a quarter of their expansive library, constantly fed by the sharingan wielders copying their adversaries techniques and adding their stolen jutsu to the vault. Sakura had taught herself numerous jutsu, focusing on water jutsu in particular when she found she had an aptitude for it.

They had tried to use chakra paper to determine her chakra nature but, no matter what they did, the paper refused to function in her hands. She had been just as baffled as them and, for a lack of a better answer, they all assumed that she must not be able to use the paper since she had never used elemental jutsu before. It was an answer which irked them all but one which they settled upon when they could come up with nothing else.

Despite the mystery of the chakra paper, Sakura happily settled into utilizing water jutsu. Part of Madara wondered if this was solely to spite them due to their fire natures. Especially when she got into the habit of learning her jutsu in secret so she could surprise them during their training sessions, something that always kept them on their toes.

He had even been impressed by her crafting a handful of her own unique jutsu, most of which she used in conjunction with her medical ninjutsu. She was impossibly intelligent and clever.

Madara realized that he had been staring the moment that Sakura did. She tilted her head to regard him, a wider smile already gracing her lips, just as a bolt of lightning struck a lone tree not even four hundred feet away. The bolt lit up their surroundings in a bright flash of light before the air exploded, a shockwave rattling them down to their bones and making her home tremble.

Sakura's eyes shot to where the bolt of lightning had struck in alarm before she laughed aloud, her head tilting back with her gleeful giggles. His gaze remained on her.

At that moment, as Madara watched Sakura laugh in the face of such overwhelming power, he wanted nothing more than kiss her. To close the small distance between them and to feel her smile against his lips.

The thought startled him more than the lightning bolt had.

Madara looked away, watching as the rain doused the small fire the lightning bolt had created, as he dissected the urge. He dug it open, searching for the cause of why he wanted to do such a thing.

He had known Sakura was beautiful since the moment he first saw her, standing in the center of that decimated battlefield soaked in gore. She had the strength and the form of a warrior. To him, she was the epitome of what he believed a goddess of war would look like.

He knew she was beautiful but she was so much more than that.

As the months passed since their first meeting and the deal they struck, he had begun to care for her. Sakura's actions revealed that she cared for him and his family as more than just their hired medic. He had come to think of her as a powerful and trustworthy friend. There were few people whom he could rely on, who he could trust, and the stranger they had plucked off a battlefield to heal his poisoned clan mates had, shockingly enough, become one of them.

She was his friend, yes, but it was deeper than that.

As they spent more and more time together, seemingly spending every day in each other's company, they had grown close. Their friendship had turned into something even warmer, instead becoming a companionship that he treasured. He cherished the time he was able to spend in her company; the conversations, the spars, the tender moments that they shared that he had never experienced with any other person.

He cared for her, yes, but he felt more for her than that. He...

With a suddenness that stole the breath from Madara's lungs, everything that he had been feeling over the past half year made sense. Why Sakura could so easily steal away his attention, why she was constantly on his mind, why he felt the odd sensation in his chest when those viridian eyes of hers met his...

He was in love with her.

Once the Uchiha had put the pieces together, and before she could notice the sudden change within him, he stood.

"I apologize but I must leave. I've been putting off important clan business by staying here that I should attend to," Madara lied, leaning down only to set down the cup he had forgotten was cradled in his hands, "Thank you for the tea, Sakura."

Sakura looked up at him with a sly smile, as if sensing his lie. He cleared his throat.

"Whatever you say, Madara. Watch out for the lightning on your way back," she replied as she turned to face the rain once more and took a sip from her cup.

Madara wanted to say something more but couldn't figure out what it was as he lingered for a moment too long. He simply turned away and left, ignoring the weight of his unspoken words in the air. He rushed through the rain and towards his home, already lost to his thoughts.

After reaching his home, soaked to the bone in frigid water, he still could not focus. He spent the rest of the night in contemplation, not speaking a word to his confused brother or any of the workers who tended to their home.

As he laid in his bed early that afternoon, listening to the sound of the rain on his roof and the distant thunder, he made a useless attempt at sleeping away his thoughts. No matter how he tried to lose himself to sleep, he instead remained lost in his mind.

Madara loved her, he knew it was a certainty now... but he soon came to realize it was a love that could never be.

Sakura was their hired medic and once she was through with their contract, she would leave. He couldn't imagine a being such as herself, who had appeared so mysteriously in the first place, leaving in any less of a fashion.

She was searching for something, desperate for something, and he knew that he couldn't provide her with the answer she needed. While he had yet to discern what it was she desired so, he doubted she would abandon that goal to stay with the Uchiha indefinitely.

To harbor feelings for her, or even worse act upon them, would only make her inevitable departure that much more depressing.

Even if Madara did act upon his feelings, he doubted that a once in a millennia kind of woman such as Sakura would be interested in a relationship with a man such as himself: a clan leader committed until death to his family and who was as tied to their fate as fire was to the air that fed it.

He doubted she would be interested in becoming a matriarch and tying herself to the clan as tightly as he was. In becoming his wife. In sharing a life with him. In becoming heavy with child, their baby safely nestled within her beautifully rounded belly. In dark haired children playing at her feet in their garden as-

Madara gritted his teeth as he stopped himself, his imagination running wild as his heart sang in his chest at the thought of her as the mother of his children.

Children… Here he was, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and thinking about having children with Sakura. He must have lost his mind if he had already fallen so deeply and so quickly.

Rolling over to his side and glaring at the darkened wall of his cold bedroom, he made his decision.

He would not threaten the friendship he had with Sakura by acting upon his amorous feelings. He hated the thought of her leaving him one day to pursue her goals but hated the thought of scaring her away, of ruining their easy companionship for the rest of her stay if his feelings were unrequited, far more.

Then, when she finally left, their inevitable parting wouldn't be as painful... He would move on to the future and try to push the memories of her to the back of his mind... just as he had with his once close friend all those years ago.

Madara closed his eyes, determined to rest even with the invisible weight suddenly bearing down on his chest. He fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams a nonsensical mess of riotous pink and destructive thunderstorms.

* * *

Despite all of Sakura's research, all of the scrolls she had thoroughly dissected, she had yet to come any closer to her goal of returning home. Hundreds of scrolls and not one contained a single iota of the knowledge she needed to craft the jutsu she needed to return to her timeline.

She didn't know what she had been thinking. She knew there wouldn't be a lengthy scroll contained in a glass case with the words 'break glass in case of accidental time travel' printed at the bottom, but this was ridiculous. She had yet to find even a clue on how to return home.

All of the space time jutsu she had dug up were all the predecessors for techniques she was already incredibly familiar with: summoning jutsu, displacement jutsu, substitution jutsu… She had found a couple scrolls which had described techniques for momentarily suspending time which had been incredibly fascinating and progressive, but that had only helped her in her progress on her stasis jutsu.

Sakura had taken to teaching herself various water jutsu just so she could hide her true agenda and prevent herself from losing her mind from the lack of progress.

Although the fact that chakra paper didn't seem to work in her hands still perplexed her. She had agreed with Madara and Izuna's theory that she simply was unfamiliar with using elemental jutsu so her chakra had developed in a way that didn't allow for her to have a base elemental affinity. Secretly, she assumed it had something to do with her being from the future instead and left it at that...

The benefit of drastically improving her skills by teaching herself these elemental jutsu was noteworthy in any case. Even if their chakra paper didn't function in her hands, she assumed that she had a water nature with the ease in which she learned water based jutsu.

Sakura was particularly proud of having mastered the Giant Vortex Jutsu in merely a day, an A ranked jutsu which she had seen Zabuza utilize when she was still just a genin. While the technique was a drain on her chakra, it was enough to douse (most of) the fire jutsus that the Uchiha brothers threw at her.

Spurred on by a childish desire for revenge, she had taught herself the Storm Upheaval Jutsu as well. Her and the Uchiha brothers had been sparring during the beginning of a rainstorm and she had used the jutsu, harvesting water from the heavy clouds above her, to absolutely soak Madara and Izuna to the bone with frigid water.

Sakura had laughed uncontrollably for a solid minute at their soaking wet forms, especially the elder Uchiha whose normally wild locks were plastered flat against his head and face, nearly concealing his irate expression. In the heart of her mirth, she claimed that the jutsu was revenge for her having gotten soaked clean through by the elder Uchiha during their first spar together. This had been met with a barrage of complaints from a shivering Izuna, who had nothing to do with their feud in the first place, and a look from Madara that guaranteed some form of counter vengeance in the near future.

Counter vengeance that was solidly achieved the very next day when he buried her up to her neck using the Headhunter jutsu, not only surprising her with his use of an earth jutsu but spurring a childish competition between them over who could inconvenience the other the most during their spars.

While her spars with the Uchiha brothers had done much to distract her from her mission, what had begun to trouble her in addition to her failure to figure out how to return home was her rapidly escalating... crush on Madara. At first, it had been easy to brush to the side and ignore. Now, however, he was beginning to be a constant figure in her thoughts, despite how she tried to fight against it.

Thoughts of returning home were beginning to become clouded with regret at the thought of having to leave her friend and the man she was developing feelings for behind. And not just him, but the younger clan head who had become a cherished friend as well.

The more Sakura thought of it, the more a feeling of shame began to build. She wondered if she was unconsciously replacing the feelings she once held for Sasuke with feelings for another Uchiha. The shame just added to the plethora of negative feelings which came with her escalating crush on a man who she could never be with.

Even if she did act on her feelings, it would only lead to suffering for them both when she returned home to a time where he was very much dead. The thought of returning to her time and never being able to see the people she had begun to care about here put her heart in a vice.

As if Madara would be interested in her in the first place anyways... The man was a legend during this time, a shinobi of the highest caliber and the leader of one of the most powerful and prestigious clans in the world. She was just a skilled kunoichi with a bad temper who had been unlucky enough to get tossed backwards in time. She knew she was of a special sort but certainly not special enough to warrant the relationship she secretly pined for with the clan leader.

Even if his not so subtle gaze when they had been watching the storm together hinted otherwise.

Decision already made, Sakura refocused on the scrolls she had borrowed from the library. There had to be something, anything, written somewhere in these parchments. Some hint to help her finally return home where she could move on with her life. Where she could shove the memories of Madara into the back of her mind and try to forget about the time they had spent together and the feelings she had developed for him.

* * *

The days continued onward despite Sakura's inner struggle and, soon enough, the day before her birthday arrived. Tomorrow would be the day she finally turned eighteen and a birthday she would be unable to celebrate with her family and friends from her time. A birthday that would more than likely go unnoticed. Tomorrow would also mark the ninth month she had spent trapped in the past.

Sakura couldn't bring herself to feel anything but morose.

She couldn't find her appetite that morning, let alone the energy to prepare herself anything to eat. She couldn't find the heart to go out to the training fields where the Uchiha brothers met to join them for a spar. She could hardly find the will to give her sole patient of the day, a young girl who had sliced her palm while hunting in the forest, a comforting smile.

She spent the day in a haze, as if preemptively numbing herself for the following day.

The medic tried to mix some new tinctures to treat headaches but they had come out so poorly that they went straight into the trash. Unwilling to waste any more supplies, she wandered into her kitchen under the pretense of making herself something to eat. This futile action resulted in her standing in her kitchen, blankly staring into her pantry. The surplus of food contained within may as well have been jars of dirt with how incredibly unappetizing everything appeared.

She considered just going back to bed but knew she had to remain awake in case another patient came in needing her assistance.

Sakura finally ended up sitting at her table, making a useless attempt at reading about a new water jutsu she was considering testing out. Instead of reading, however, she just stared into the paper, the words looking more like scribbles than anything actually legible to her uncaring eyes.

This was how Izuna came upon her, bleakly staring into a scroll as if it was her death warrant rather than a scroll on water jutsu. She hadn't noticed him until after he had already sat down next to her, a concerned expression etched into his features.

"You missed our training session," Izuna softly broached, drawing her out of her daze.

Sakura slowly lifted her head to regard Izuna, unable to find the energy to greet him with her usual smile. "Oh… Sorry. I've been… kinda busy today."

Her gaze returned to the scroll but, despite her gaze clinging to the words, her eyes were unseeing.

"What, with your one patient all day?" he tried to tease with a smile. When she didn't smile in return, as she normally would, his grin quickly withered away.

A heavy silence filled the air before he spoke again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she muttered in response, her head still bowed as she stared into the scroll.

"You don't look fine…"

Sakura shrugged in response, the gesture so weak it was barely noticeable. She was unable to come up with the energy to respond properly, the effort to even speak being too draining.

"What's wrong?" Izuna questioned, tilting his head to look into her downcast eyes.

Her gaze moved from the scroll to the corner of the room, avoiding the Uchiha's eyes. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"I am worried about it. I've never seen you like this before," he replied, his eyebrows furrowing in concern as he frowned deeply.

"It's nothing."

"It's obviously not nothing if it has you like this."

Sakura was silent for a long moment. She glanced at Izuna before her eyes returned to her scroll. "It's just…"

"Yes?" he prompted after another moment of silence.

"Tomorrow's my eighteenth birthday…" she muttered in a tone more fitting for admitting one was dying.

"It is? Isn't that something to be happy about?" the Uchiha returned, confused.

"It's the first birthday I've had... alone," Sakura whispered, feeling tears building up in her eyes at the admission. She felt her throat swell as her eyes burned and began to panic, desperately willing her tears away.

Izuna's expression dropped, betraying his concern, when a tear slid free from Sakura's eye despite her attempt at stopping it. She immediately wiped the tear track and the tears welling in her other eye away, trying to conceal her sadness.

Faced with her tears, the young clan head appeared to struggle internally. He had never seen her cry before as Sakura had made sure to avoid such an embarrassment for the entirety of the time she had been there. She felt a warm hand settle on her shoulder and her gaze finally met his as the motion jarred her from her thoughts.

"But you're not going to be alone. You have Madara and me," Izuna comforted with a gentle smile, squeezing her shoulder.

"It's fine, believe me. I'm fine," she replied with a sad huff of a laugh that she was grateful didn't turn into the sob she could feel threatening to escape her. She wiped the tears once again pooling in her eyes to prevent them from falling.

"And believe me, tomorrow will be a day that you can look forward to. You may not be with… all of your old friends, but we're your friends too, right?"

"Of course… You both are..."

"Then we'll start a new birthday tradition. With us," Izuna asserted, his smile widening as he tried his best to comfort her.

Sakura felt tears building up again at his words and wiped at her face once again, sniffling. "You don't-"

"I do and will." He squeezed her shoulder as if to enforce his words before he released her and stood. "I promise, I'll figure out something."

As he left her home in a hurry, he left Sakura feeling surprisingly less numb than before. She found herself almost looking forward to the next day as she found that she could actually read her scroll.

* * *

When Izuna came across his brother, he was in much the same position as Sakura had been, sitting at their table, deep into a scroll. Unlike her, however, Madara's eyes flicked across it's surface, actually reading the words printed across the paper.

"Madara, we have a problem," he greeted immediately, leveling his brother with a serious expression.

The elder Uchiha's shoulders immediately tensed as his sharp gaze shot up to Izuna, his expression hard. "What is it?"

"Tomorrow is Sakura's birthday."

Madara's tensed muscles immediately relaxed in surprise although his expression morphed into one of confusion. "It is? How is that a problem?"

"She said this is the first birthday she's spent alone. The first one since her village was destroyed…" Izuna's face dropped as he recalled his interaction with the medic just a few minutes prior. "She's not doing well... She started crying when I spoke to her."

Madara's eyebrows furrowed as a frown pulled at his features. His gaze became pensive as he rolled the scroll he had been reading back into its case.

"You know how our clan celebrates birthdays. She's not an Uchiha so she doesn't have any close relatives to celebrate it. I think that we should do something for her," Izuna asserted, sitting at the table across from his brother.

The elder nodded in response, placing the scroll off to the side, now deemed unimportant. "I agree. What do you think?"

"I was thinking we should take a trip to Ine-cho and get her something."

"What would we even get her?"

The younger Uchiha grinned slyly before teasing, "I thought you could give her mother's wedding band and I could get her a shiromuku."

Madara's eyebrow twitched in aggravation as he glared at his brother. "Or I could stuff you into a sack and give you to her as a punching bag!"

Izuna simply laughed in response. "Honestly, I have a couple ideas but I thought we'd simply find something when we arrived."

The elder clan head shook his head and sighed deeply in exacerbation before standing. "Let's leave now then. Any later and most of the shops will be closed by the time we arrive. We'll need to speak with the scouts to let them know we will be gone until late tonight as well."

He nodded in response as he got to his feet as well. "Alright, I'll go speak to the captain before we leave. Oh, and something interesting…"

"Yes?"

"She's turning eighteen."

"Eighteen?" Madara parroted in surprise, "I thought she was our age."

"I did as well. Perhaps we'll add something extra to her presents on account of her age," he suggested with another grin.

The elder Uchiha smirked and shook his head once again as they split apart to prepare for their journey.

* * *

 _A/N: When you see a lightning bolt, you can count the seconds between the light and the time you hear the thunder to determine how far away the bolt was! If you count five seconds between the lightning bolt and the sound of thunder, it equates to about one mile. Or, for those of you using metric, three seconds is about one kilometer. Since I live in the middle of Texas where lightning storms are pretty common, I use this trick all the time._

 _Also, a Shiromuku "is an all-white kimono commonly seen in Shinto weddings, and is regarded as the most formal wedding gown. Like in Western culture, white symbolizes purity and cleanness in Japanese culture as well, with the added underlying expression of the bride's willingness to be "dyed with the groom's family color"." Izuna was teasing Madara saying he should just marry Sakura already. Little brothers know too much._

 _As a reminder, there is a four year age difference between Sakura in Madara. So, while Sakura is turning eighteen, Madara is twenty-two. Madara had a birthday a few chapters back where he turned twenty-two while Sakura has yet to have a birthday while she has been trapped in the past._


	17. Drunk

_For this world, I've made the "legal" drinking age eighteen. This doesn't really mean much for ninja during this time since ninja (especially clans) are mostly independent and govern themselves. This was also shown when Sakura, as a kunoichi, was able to buy herself drinks during her stay in one of the merchant villages. Ninja are treated much differently than civilians considering the lives they lead._

* * *

Sakura awoke that morning feeling hopeful. While she doubted there would be some extraordinary birthday extravaganza awaiting her, she was happy just to have people she cared about to celebrate her birthday with her. A quiet day spent with her friends, distracting her from her sadness, was all she wanted.

After folding up her futon and storing it in the closet of her tatami room, she dressed herself in her most comfortable komon kimono. She made quick work of getting ready for the day, washing her face and brushing her teeth and hair. She hummed as she twirled a lock of pink hair around her finger, noting how long her hair had gotten. She had yet to cut it since being sent to the past and it now hung far past her shoulders.

Sakura laughed when she realized that the length of her hair would nearly been the same as Madara and Izuna if she continued to let it grow. She grabbed a tie from her supply of toiletries before tying her long hair in a low ponytail which trailed down her back. Brushing her bangs to the side, she pinned them into place, revealing the purple seal on her forehead.

She paused for a moment as she looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror before smiling softly. Despite having dreaded this day for so long, despite still being trapped in the past... She was excited. She was happy she would be able to spend this day with people she cared about, that she wouldn't be alone.

Sakura left her bathroom with her smile still lingering across her lips as she went to prepare breakfast.

She enjoyed the soothing scent of the grove of flowering plum trees next to her home as she gathered a few bricks of firewood from outside. She left her fusuma open, allowing the fresh spring air to flow through her home as she lit a small fire in her hearth.

As she added water and a scoop of rice to her cooking pot, Sakura had a sudden idea. Grinning to herself, she ran through a string of handsigns before nipping the tip of her thumb and setting her hand on her counter. Concentric circles of kanji erupted from her palm before a small burst of smoke concealed her hand.

The haze was quick to clear away, revealing the dark furred kitten Kurumi, the feline's expression strangely pinched. She paused for a long moment, her face only contorting further, before she sneezed from the smoke. Sakura's smile widened at her unintentionally adorable companion, her hand coming up to hide her grin as Kurumi righted her whiskers with her paw.

"Hey, Sakura!" the summon greeted warmly before her eyes flicked across the room, "Do you need my help with more patients today?"

"No, not today. Today is just a special day and I wanted your company," Sakura answered simply, the small cut on her finger healing without her active focus.

"A special day? What's so special about today?" Kurumi asked as her curious gaze fell upon the pot of uncooked rice.

"Today is my birthday. I turn eighteen today," she explained as she gathered an egg, a bottle of soy sauce, and a jar of salt from her pantry.

"It's your birthday!?" she yelled back, leaping to her feet.

"Yes?" Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes flicked over to the anxious cat. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I, uh! I mean-! I-I'll be back!" Kurumi declared, stumbling over her words, before diving off the counter and bolting out the open fusuma.

Sakura watched as her summon ran off into the plum grove, confused, before shaking her head and returning to her meal. She secured her pot of rice on the hook hanging above her fireplace, adjusting the chain so the pot hung above the gently burning flames. She sat on one of the cushions surrounding the hearth and hummed a tune as she periodically stirred the pot of rice as it cooked.

Once her rice was finished, she spooned it into her bowl and cracked an egg on top. After adding a pinch of salt and soy sauce, she stirred in the egg, the familiar smell of one of her oldest comfort foods bringing back happy memories. She gathered a bite onto her chopsticks but, before she could bring the first bite of her breakfast to her lips, a muted cry met her ears.

"Wait, wait!" the muffled voice of Kurumi called out as she raced back into Sakura's home, something in her mouth.

Striding up to Sakura with a skip in her step, she plopped down on the cushion next to her. She dropped the dark something that was in her mouth on the floor between them, smiling up at her summoner brightly.

"Happy birthday, Sakura! I know it's not much, but I got this for you! I thought you could add it to your breakfast since they're so tasty," Kurumi explained, beaming up at her.

It was only when Sakura leaned in closer to make out what it was Kurumi had given her that she finally realized that the cat's gift was a dead bird.

"Oh! Kurumi! That... That's so thoughtful of you," she praised, trying to sound excited even though she was less than thrilled about being presented a dead animal. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her friend's feelings when she had put so much effort into catching her a gift.

"I'm so happy you like it! Go on, add it in! I bet it will taste so good! Birds are so tasty, they're my favorite," Kurumi returned, her gaze lingering on the dead bird for a moment before she shook her head and looked back up at Sakura.

"You know, I'm really so grateful that you went out of your way to get me a present. But, I already have breakfast but you don't have anything. Why don't you eat it for me so we can both have breakfast together?" Sakura tried, desperately hoping that the cat took the bait.

There was no way she was eating that thing on her floor.

"Are you sure? It's your present!" the summon argued weakly, her eyes lingering on the bird once again as if fighting against her want to devour it herself.

"I can tell you want it, Kurumi. It's alright. I want you to eat it."

"But it's your birthday!"

"It is. And what I want for my birthday more than anything is to have breakfast with you," she pushed in one last ditch attempt, forcing a smile.

"Hmm... Okay then!" Kurumi finally agreed, very nearly drawing a sigh of relief from Sakura.

The feline was quick to snatch up the dead bird, maneuvering it so she could sink in her teeth. Sakura stirred her egg rice a few more times, bringing the warmer rice to the surface. She gathered another bite onto her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth, humming in contentment at the familiar and comforting taste.

As she ate her meal with Kurumi, and as she decidedly ignored the sounds of crunching bone, a sense of contentment washed over her.

Today was going to be a good day.

* * *

Sakura tended to a handful of patients throughout the morning, them all being a few shinobi from the clan with minor injuries sustained during their missions. After so many months of being their medic and having already tended to most of them by that point, they treated her and Kurumi cordially.

It wasn't until the afternoon that Madara and Izuna finally made their appearance. When Sakura sensed their familiar chakra, she felt a buzz of excitement which she quickly tamped down.

Kurumi, however, had no such qualms about containing her glee and ran off from her seat next to Sakura at her table. She watched as the summon easily leapt up to perch on one of the ranma lining the ceiling, the feline crouching as she waited to deliver a surprise on the brothers.

The two Uchiha let themselves in through her open fusuma, as they often did considering their familiarity, with calls of "sorry to intrude". When they did, the elder smoothly ducked beneath Kurumi's sneak attack, being a sensory type and having noticed her lying in wait. The younger, however, who was not a sensory type, received the brunt of Kurumi's pounce and released an undignified yelp at the sudden attack.

Sakura laughed aloud as she watched Izuna stumble backwards, already feeling much lighter. Her and Madara shared a warm smile as he abandoned his brother to his fate with Kurumi to instead sit down on the cushion at her side.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," Madara greeted, his voice making her chest and cheeks tingle.

"Thank you for coming," she thanked sincerely, "It… really means a lot to me."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he returned with a smile, drawing a blush to Sakura's cheeks.

Kurumi was the second to enter the living room, sporting a decidedly haughty expression and a skip in her stride. She, without prompting, immediately leapt onto the elder Uchiha's shoulder and made herself at home beneath his wild hair.

"Hi Madara," she greeted after poking her head out from his locks.

"Kurumi. I see your mischievousness hasn't changed," he returned with an amused smirk as he watched Izuna enter the living room, brushing cat hair from his face and picking a hair off of his tongue.

The young Uchiha glared at the mass beneath his brother's hair before tucking his own ponytail underneath the collar of his shirt. His glower only faded so he could greet Sakura, who tried to hide her amused grin behind her hand, with a smile.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," he stated as he sat down on the cushion at Sakura's left side, setting a box wrapped in pink cloth down on the tabletop.

When Sakura stared at the box in confusion, not understanding, he nudged it towards Sakura with a knowing look.

"You... got me a present?" she questioned in surprise.

"It's your birthday so of course I did. We both did," Izuna answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world, "Now go on…"

Chagrined at being given a gift even if it was her birthday, she hesitantly pulled the box towards her. She unwrapped the cloth, revealing a white box which she opened. Her lips parted in surprise as she gazed down at the beautifully tailored kimono within, the dusty pink fabric decorated in an intricate pattern of magenta and pastel pink cherry blossoms. A neatly folded white obi and a decorate black cord were tucked into the box as well and, perched on top, was a decorative obi pin in the shape of a cherry blossom.

"Oh, Izuna... It's gorgeous," she commented with a smile, running her fingertips along the soft cloth, the fabric so smooth it didn't even catch the callouses on her fingertips.

"I asked them to sew in hidden pockets too. I seem to remember you saying that you 'hated these damn useless clothes with nowhere to put anything'," he teased.

"I can't believe you remembered that," Sakura laughed aloud, not sure whether to be embarrassed that he had heard her complaining about her own clothes or impressed that he had remembered.

"What clothes did you wear before that had pockets? I've never seen women's clothing with pockets… Except some work clothes," Izuna questioned, drawing the curiosity of the elder Uchiha as well.

"We wore different clothes back in my village. I changed my wardrobe here after getting a few odd stares," she replied honestly, not seeing the harm in admitting the truth, "I still have one of my old outfits. Maybe one day I'll wear it to show you both."

She smiled at Izuna before leaning over, pulling him into a hug. He seemed surprised by the gesture, unused to such open affection even from a friend, but still wrapped an arm around her shoulder to return the embrace as best he could in their odd position.

"Thank you, Izuna," she thanked, giving him a squeeze before releasing him.

"Think nothing of it," he responded with a smile, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

Instead of producing a box like Izuna had, Madara quietly placed a small storage scroll on the tabletop before her. Sakura eyed it, and then him, curiously before demurely accepting the gift.

She unraveled the scroll, revealing a filled seal, and, pushing a bit of chakra into her fingertip, she released the seal. A puff of smoke was quickly followed by a heavy sounding thump and the sound of the legs of her table creaking under some strain.

After the smoke cleared, Sakura openly gaped at the pristinely smithed, single headed battle axe that her small table struggled to hold. The weapon was nearly as tall as she was and undoubtedly weighed more than her. There were jutsu formulas painstakingly carved along the face of the axe, only visible when it shined in the light, and she wondered what their function was.

Focusing her chakra into her hands, she lifted the weapon and flipped it over, her eyes raking over the jutsu formula and her fingertips testing the sharpness of the curved blade. She could feel that the weapon drew in some of her chakra, an action she knew was somehow related the the jutsu formulas carved into its face.

"Wow…" Sakura breathed, as she inspected the weapon.

"It has been designed to conduct chakra, much the way my gunbai does. It will not break when you swing it, even when using your remarkable strength," Madara explained, simultaneously revealing the secret as the why her punches never obliterated his weapon when they sparred.

She noted that at least he was courteous enough to not call her augmented strength monstrous, something Izuna hadn't seemed to grasp yet.

"It's… formidable," she chuckled in response, her mind already working at how she would incorporate this weapon into her fighting style. She normally didn't utilize weapons, except for the occasional kunai, but a weapon such as this demanded to be used. In her hands, this axe could topple mountains.

She wondered if he knew how much more dangerous their training sessions would be with her swinging this monster around. She also wondered which would break first if they collided: her new axe or his gunbai.

"I told you she would like the axe," Madara bragged happily, leveling his brother with a self satisfied smirk.

"I didn't say she wouldn't," Izuna argued with a wary glance at the weapon the kunoichi was staring at with a far too contemplative expression, "What I said is she's going to __kill us with it.__ "

"If I ever really hurt you with it, I could just patch you up," Sakura replied sweetly as she gently sat down her axe, earning a grimace from the younger Uchiha as the legs of the low table creaked threateningly.

"Wow, I thought you two at least has some sense of self preservation," Kurumi commented from Madara's shoulder, her bright eyes focused on the weapon Sakura lovingly ran her fingertips across.

"See!? Even the cat has some common sense!" Izuna shot back, dramatically gesturing to the feline summons.

"I think it's less common sense and more having eyes. I'm just glad I'm not a battle type… Hehe, Kuro is going to be furious with you," the kit taunted, reaching up to paw at Madara's chin.

"I'll deal with him," Sakura insisted, drawing a noncommittal hum from the feline.

Sakura scooted over and, conscious of Kurumi still perched on his shoulders, pulled Madara into a hug as well. He seemed just as surprised by her easy affection as Izuna had been but easily returned the embrace.

"Thank you, Madara," she thanked during their brief embrace, hoping the blush she could feel didn't show.

"Hey, why didn't I get a hug when I gave you that bird?" Kurumi pouted.

"I'm sorry, Kurumi, I should have given you one. If you come out of your nest, I'll give you a big one," Sakura promised, holding out her hands as if to welcome Kurumi into her lap.

"Hmm…" the cat summon hummed in consideration before relaxing against Madara's shoulder once again, "I'd have to get up though. I'll just get it from you later."

The group laughed at Kurumi's laziness, the kit retreating further into Madara's wild mane with a grumble of embarrassment.

"It's here waiting for you when you want it," Sakura assured as her gaze returned to her gifts with a warm smile.

"We have another surprise for you. Considering it's your eighteenth birthday..." Izuna stated mischievously, both the brothers producing two ishobin of sake each.

She laughed aloud at that. "You know I've drank before, right?"

"Yes, but your first legal drink will be with us," the younger Uchiha pointed out as Sakura stood to store away her gifts and fish out some dishes for their wine.

* * *

At one point that night, after they had already polished off two of the bottles together and had slipped into a warm, giddy state of intoxication, Izuna had wheedled Sakura into showing them what clothes from her old village looked like. Her, drunk enough to think that was a wonderful idea, had sauntered off into her bedroom to change.

Madara had been overwhelmingly satisfied with her reaction to his gift. While he knew it would take her a couple months to acclimate to using it, the weapon would give her an added advantage which could mean the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

The fact that Sakura now had something she could always remember him by after she had left was… inconsequential.

Giggling drunkenly to herself, Sakura strode out into her living room with more of a lean than normal and stood before them. As they sipped their dishes of sake, their eyes flicked across the plain, high collared cloak she wore, not particularly shocked by her change of clothes. While she was apparently wearing a pair of sandals with a small heel, the outfit didn't appear so much different than what they were used to.

Until she slipped her cloak from her shoulders and revealed the outfit beneath.

Izuna sputtered into his sake, nearly choking on the rice wine immediately. Madara had marginally better luck, barely remembering to right the dish tilted against his lips before sake spilled from the corners of his mouth.

"Well, what do you think? A lot different than out here, huh?" she laughed as she turned in a circle to give them a view of her family's crest printed onto the back of her top, both brothers staring with wide eyes and rapidly reddening cheeks.

Never in his life had Madara seen such an outfit. She wore a form fitting sleeveless top which clung to her petite breasts and the curve of her waist. Skin tight, black shorts that cut off less than halfway down her toned thighs accentuated her strong legs and tight rear. A kind of apron with numerous pockets hung around her hips and elbow guards were wrapped around her arms. She wore gloves that reminded him of his own and a simple pack was perched on her hip. He noticed that what he thought were simple heeled shinobi sandals were actually knee high, further emphasizing the smooth expanse of smooth ivory skin that was her thighs.

"Your parents let you leave the house wearing that?!" Izuna exclaimed, his wide eyes locked onto her legs as a vibrant blush, from more than just from the sake, darkened his cheeks.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?!" she yelled, her hands forming fists as she glared at him. She was so caught up in her anger that she didn't notice the elder Uchiha's gaze slowly raking over her form from top to bottom.

"You're revealing so much skin! And it's so… __form fitting__."

The elder Uchiha certainly didn't see the problem with how… form fitting Sakura's outfit was. No wonder she had gotten so many odd stares when she first arrived. She might as well have been wrapped in a towel.

"So what if you can see my thighs and my upper arms?! It's not like my breasts are hanging out!" she hissed back, taking a menacing step forward, the movement drawing Madara's eyes back down to her legs and the muscles in her thighs.

"It's improper!" Izuna argued, neither having seen such a bold outfit before.

"Your attitude is improper! What, have you never seen __thighs__ before?!" she yelled in response, the leather of her gloves creaking as her fists tightened.

"Not displayed so brazenly!"

"Madara!" she yelled, his gaze immediately shooting to her face as he was addressed so suddenly, "What do you think?"

He thought over his words carefully, wanting to prevent her fury from escalating while simultaneously expressing his fondness for the outfit.

"It's… even more obvious we come from different worlds. But you look lovely, Sakura."

"Thank you," she replied, her anger receding, before she shot his younger brother another glare, "See? That's how to not be an asshole."

"I'm not being an asshole, I'm being honest," Izuna argued, "You look so scandalous."

Apparently Madara's words had done little to diffuse the situation in the face of his brother's comment. Sakura's fury returned tenfold. "I bet you jerks rip your shirts off when you train in the summer!"

She did have a point...

"That's different!" Izuna returned.

"You're a misogynistic idiot! I'm getting changed. Lest I taint your mind with perverted images of my __shoulders__ ," she hissed, storming off back into her bedroom with a broad, dismissive wave of her hands.

When he heard the fusuma leading into her bedroom slam shut, Madara immediately smacked his brother in the back of the head and hissed, "You're an idiot."

"You're just mad because you wanted to look at her legs more, you perv-" Izuna heatedly whispered back with a glare before being cut off by another, much harder, smack to the back of the head.

* * *

They had drank too much. Far too much.

They had finished off all four bottles, the final just between himself and Sakura. Izuna had solidly passed out, his cheek flat against the table, shortly before the fourth bottle had been opened. Kurumi, who had even lapped up a dish of sake after complaining about not being involved, had taken the opportunity to drunkenly crawl into the high collar of his brother's shirt to fall asleep as well.

Madara thought he had a decent tolerance to alcohol, despite not partaking often, but Sakura was another story. He was unsure of how she remained standing, considering her small form, and wondered how often she had drank before that day.

He was amazed when she somehow found it in her to stand and go about lighting a few paper lanterns around the room as the sun finally set. While she walked with a harsh lean to one side and was especially cautious and humorously serious while lighting the lanterns, she was still far better off than his younger brother or even him.

He wasn't confident that he could stand at the moment. The end of the final bottle was finally catching up to him and he hoped that the warm, carefree, dizzy sensation didn't drift into sickness or, even worse, a blackout. He wasn't sure he would be proud of what he would do if he plummeted off the edge and into a blackout and lost his inhibitions.

Madara normally wouldn't have allowed himself to get this far, but Sakura had challenged him and his brother to some drinking game with a complex name that basically entailed who could finish the most dishes of sake quicker. Not one to turn down a challenge and already drunk enough to think that the game was a fantastic idea, he had accepted. They had tied twice, perhaps three times, but he was… fairly certain he had won the tiebreaker. At this point, his memory was getting ill defined and he wasn't completely sure if they had finished the game at all.

Based on the line of mostly empty dishes of sake in front of his brother, one still loosely cradled in his limp hand, he was fairly certain this was where Izuna had met his end.

When the medic returned from lighting the lanterns, basking the room in a dim, warm light, and flopped down onto the floor behind Madara, he instinctively tensed up. He was incredibly sensitive to people being behind him and, even though he trusted her, the sensation of her presence at his back discomforted him.

At least until her fingers began carding through his hair. He nearly purred at the sensation of her fingers running through his locks as a shiver of bliss ran down his spine.

He heard Sakura hum some senseless tune to herself, interspersed with drunken giggles, and felt as she started taking sections of his hair into her hands. He had a sneaking suspicion that she was braiding his hair but, in his intoxicated state and with how amazing her hands in his hair felt, he found no reason to protest. Especially when she occasionally tugged on his locks in her own drunken state, forcing him to swallow the sounds that threatened to spill from his lips.

"You have such nice hair… So long and soft and... no split ends? Do you wanna switch?" she hummed close enough to his ear that he could feel her warm breath, sending another shiver of pleasure down his spine.

Sakura adjusted how she was sitting behind him and accidentally pulled at his hair. He shut his eyes and held his breath to contain the rumbling in his chest that was in danger of forming a growl.

Madara dimly registered her saying an apology but her words were overridden by him seriously considering turning around and dragging her into his lap, consequences be damned. To press her flush against his chest and slant his lips across hers. He prayed that she would tug at his hair again. He had no idea that such a strange thing could feel so good.

His skin was buzzing from her gentle ministrations, his mind was fuzzy from the sake, and the scent of wildflowers that clung to her further muddled his thoughts. He was too far in to restrain his sharingan sparking to life, however, the familiar tug of chakra flaring up behind his eyes.

"Switch?" Madara breathed as he finally opened his eyes and was greeted by her incredibly vivid living room, his sight made crisp by his sharingan.

He wasn't sure how long it had been before he had been able to speak without the words being her name, but apparently it was just short enough to be acceptable for proper conversation.

"Yeah, switch hair. I take your hair and you take mine," Sakura clarified, her hands slowly brushing lower and lower down his back as she did something with his long hair. Each time her fingertips brushed his clothed skin, he could feel goosebumps threatening to form.

Sweet gods, how could she be doing this to him? He was one of the most powerful shinobi in the world. He was capable of feats most could only dream of. He lead a clan consisting of hardened warriors, had fought on blood soaked battlefields for days at a time, and had taken hundreds to their graves with his own two hands. And here he was, nearly arching into her hands like a needy kitten and trying his damnedest to withhold the sounds his body desperately wanted him to make, just because she was touching his hair.

The Uchiha forced out a laugh, the sound coming out more like a pleasured huff.

"I think I would lose a significant amount of my intimidation factor with pink hair," he tried, grateful his tone remained even and he didn't arch into her touch like his body was urging him to.

"You're going to lose some intimidation factor when I sneak flowers into your hair next time you go on a mission," Sakura muttered under her breath. She was close enough to him where he could hear every word.

"What was that?" he asked, a smile in his voice, as she finally finished the braid and he slowly regained control of his muddled mind.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," she sing-songed in response, taking his finished braid in her hands. When she ran her hands down it from the start to the end, gently pulling on it and simultaneously running her knuckles down his spine, he lost himself to his thoughts once again as he nearly let loose a satisfied groan.

His eyes slid shut at her ministrations and he wondered if he was imagining her fingertips wandering away from his new braid and across his back.

"Come on, I could sweeten the deal a bit," Sakura coaxed, his eyes immediately shooting open as he considered her words through the lense of his escalating thoughts.

Madara's mouth fell open to ask what she meant by that but she was quicker to continue, clearing her throat before she did. "Maybe you could sign the summoning contract with the cats, they like you. Having Hyo or Tora at my back generally makes my enemies overlook my hair."

It took a moment for him to collect his thoughts. "Tempting, but no. I like your hair where it is."

"Ah, I'll get you to say yes one of these days," she hummed after a moment, his heart racing along at her unintentionally damning words. As if he could ever say no to her...

Sakura's warm hands suddenly pulled away from where he was nearly certain they were exploring his shoulders.

She tried to stand and immediately wobbled on her feet, slowly and cautiously returning back to the floor. "Oh, wow…"

Sitting back, Sakura pushed herself so her back was resting against the wall of her living room. He followed, scooting across the small distance to sit next to her right side, their shoulders brushing.

"Little too much?" Madara broached, watching her smile unfold in brilliant detail. He didn't even realize his sharingan remained active, absorbing and memorizing every moment.

"Just a bit," she admitted with a nod, leaning against his shoulder. He was unsure it her lean was intentional or not but he still chose to lean into her as well, silently content at the contact.

"What did you do to my hair?" he questioned, feeling the noticeable lump pressed between his back and the wall.

"Oh, nothing," she replied with a giggle, waving her left hand dismissively.

The action caught his eye and he got a good look at her hand with his enhanced eyesight. Without a second thought, he took her hand in his.

He examined the back of Sakura's hand, noting a few fine, silvery scars across her skin and how well kept her fingernails were. He gently flipped her hand over, splaying open her fingers so he could look at her palm. He thought he felt her shiver as he ran the pad of his thumb across the calluses and scars he found there but was unsure if he imagined it or not in his inebriation.

Once done with his investigation, Madara flattened his own palm against Sakura's, chuckling at how much smaller her hand was than his. The tips of her fingertips barely reached the farthest knuckle of his own fingers.

"Your hands are so small…" he muttered with a drunken grin, marveling at how her hands could contain such incredible strength. The power to topple forests and the power to bring the dying back to life in such small, deceptively delicate hands.

"Your hands are just big," Sakura whispered in response.

He hummed noncommittally at that, observing their hands pressed together for a long moment before impulsively tilting his own hand and threading their fingers together. He was almost too caught up in the pleasing sight and sensation of simply holding her hand to not notice her breathing stop.

He turned his head to face her and could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he noticed how close they were, their noses nearly touching. All he could see of her was her half lidded eyes and her dilated pupils, the black heavily encroaching on the stunning viridian of her irises. She stared right back into his lazily spinning sharingan, her own cheeks taking a red hue.

Madara considered how easy it would be to close the few inches between them and kiss her. How easy it would be just to tilt his head and lean forward so he could press his lips to hers. His heartbeat raced at the thought and at how close they both were.

He held his breath for a moment before releasing it to whisper, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" Sakura breathed back, not taking her eyes off of his.

He wondered if she could hear his heartbeat as readily as he could feel it pounding in his chest. He wondered if she could sense his thoughts, looking so deeply into his eyes. He wondered if he was imagining the insignificant space between them slowly dwindling…

Madara was the first turn away, to break eye contact, something he had never done even when facing the most deadly of enemies. Even as a boy, fresh to the sword and forced into combat against grown adults, his gaze never wavered. And here it had in the face of her.

The only thing that stopped him from fulfilling the only thing he wanted in that moment was the last sane, sober part of his mind screaming how it could ruin their friendship. How Sakura could rebuff him or, even worse, go along with it in her drunken state only to regret it later. How she was going to leave him one day and that kissing her would result in that much more suffering in the future.

The ebony haired Uchiha settled for wrapping his free arm around her dainty shoulders, effectively breaking the trace they were both under.

"Good…" Madara muttered in response as Sakura demurely sidled up closer to him, pressing herself against his side.

His skin burned when he felt Sakura's free hand, previously pressed between both of their bodies, rest against his thigh. When he felt her head tilt to rest against the crook of his shoulder, he tilted his head to rest on top of hers. He sighed contentedly as he felt how warm she was even through their clothes, his eyes sliding shut.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," Madara muttered into her hair, his heart stubbornly refusing to settle.

Sakura hummed in response rather than speaking, snuggling deeper into his shoulder. He reveled in the feeling of her small, soft body pressed so closely to his. The feeling of her warm breath fanning across his collarbone, the feeling of her hand still wrapped in his, her fingers lightly squeezing his, and the feeling of her hand perched on his thigh, fingertips brushing against a place that had never been touched in anything but combat.

Once his frantic heart finally settled as her warmth settled into what felt like his very bones, he could feel the tugging of sleep. He knew how improper it was for not just the leader of the clan but __both__ of the clan heads to sleep overnight at their unmarried, female medic's house but found he couldn't care. The dim light of her cozy home, the warmth pressed into his side, and the scent of wildflowers easily lured him into the depths of sleep.

The last thing Madara remembered before drifting off into a blissful sleep was the sound of Sakura's soft, steady breathing.

* * *

 _A/N: The kimono that Izuna gave Sakura for her birthday is actually based on some popular art of the main Naruto characters which was created to celebrate the end of the series and the Naruto: The Last Movie. I've included a picture of Sakura in the yukata and the source on my Tumblr (Astroavis)._

 _Ishobin are basically large bottles for sake. Open mouthed carafes are often the container given when you order sake at a restaurant._


	18. Morning After

When Sakura slowly returned to wakefulness that morning, she became dimly aware of how comfortable she was. Despite not feeling the familiar sensation of her duvet on top of her or her futon beneath her, instead being met by the odd sensation of the soft tatami mats pressed against her side, she was firmly wrapped up in something unbelievably warm.

As she inched towards consciousness, she became more aware of her surroundings. She could feel that her cheek was pressed against something soft yet unyielding and an unknown weight was pressed on top of her head. The warmth cradled her to it, her own body wrapped around it and holding it to her as tightly as it held her. She basked in a scent that reminded her distinctly of a bonfire and she found herself struggling to fully return to wakefulness after first emerging from sleep wrapped up so comfortably.

When Sakura gently shifted as she began to stir, the warmth tightened around her and pulled her more fully against it. Still caught in the throes of sleep, she sighed back against the source of her comfort, nestling back into its embrace and back into her dreams.

She drifted in and out of her blissful state, lulled by the steady thrum of a strange yet familiar music against her ear. The gentle song did little to help her finally awaken, instead soothing her and drawing her back into sleep. It was only when her curiosity at the song finally began to surface that she finally awoke enough to realize her lullaby was a heartbeat.

With that knowledge came the abrupt realization that the warmth she had been wrapped up in, the being that she had been - and still was - fiercely cuddling, was breathing.

Sakura's eyes snapped open immediately, her entire body tensing as blissful sleep rapidly made way for alarm. She realized that her cheek was firmly pressed against a very solid chest, the source of her lullaby. She realized that the warmth that was wrapped around her and that kept her secured to this person's chest was a pair of arms. She realized how she had tangled herself around this person, one of her legs hooked over their thigh and dragging her skirts up precariously high as one of their legs pressed between her knees.

With her heart now racing in her chest and with a crippling headache greeting her as if in punishment, she was vaulted fully into wakefulness. A state where the memories of the night before came rushing back and where she suddenly realized exactly whose arms she was wrapped up in.

At Sakura's sudden tensing, Madara's breathing stopped, his arms stiffening around her. There were a few silent moments where she could feel as his heartbeat grew in it's pace against her ear, nearly matching the speed of her own. Slowly and cautiously, he pulled away from her, his arms sliding out from around her so he could perch on his elbow above her. The only thing that prevented her shiver as his hands slipped across her back was the demanding pain rapidly building behind her eyes.

Sakura, taking a few breaths to steel her nerves, finally peered up at the set of widened eyes staring down at her. They stared at one another unblinkingly for a long moment, heat rapidly flooding both of their cheeks.

"Sakura…" Madara mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning," she squeaked in response, her cheeks burning at the sound of his deep tone of voice.

She quickly broke eye contact, removing her arm from where it had been tossed around his middle. Clearing his throat, he pulled away, allowing her to slide out of his embrace. She unhooked her leg from over him as subtly as she could, every fiber of his pants brushing against the bare skin of her inner thigh feeling like a scalding hot brand.

As Sakura turned away, attempting to right her skirt as discreetly as possible, the change in position only enhanced the now throbbing pain behind her eyes. Her hands came up to her head in a combination of pain and embarrassment. When she shyly glanced towards Madara from behind her hands and noticed he was now sitting upright with the bridge of his nose pinched between his fingers, she could tell he was suffering the same fate as her.

She glanced over at Izuna who still sat in the exact position from the night before, his cheek flat against the surface of her table. She noticed that Kurumi was gone, the summon likely having returned to her own world at some point that night.

In between thoughts of how grateful she was that Izuna hadn't woken up before Madara and her and witnessed them cuddling on the floor and concern that the mischievous summon Kurumi very well had, Sakura thought of how Izuna would likely be in the same state as them when he finally woke up.

She avoided looking at either of the Uchiha brothers any longer as she finally dragged herself to her feet and into her kitchen. Hidden behind her half closed fusuma, she came to a stop before the cupboard which she used to store her medications and began her search for a tincture which would help with their hangovers.

As Sakura blearily pawed through the cupboards containing all the medications she had made, she quietly berated herself. She had drank far too much that night, quickly getting too far gone despite speeding up her own metabolism to more rapidly burn off the alcohol. She lamented how she had nearly abandoned her normally tightly leashed inhibitions and how she had made a fool of herself the night previous.

Pushing aside a variety of vials and bottles to the side with gentle clinks of glass on glass, Sakura thought of how she had flopped onto the floor behind Madara to braid his hair - a pathetic excuse just to touch him. She cringed as she remembered how she had tried to convince him to trade hair of all things as she had blissfully played with his ebony locks. She hoped he had been too drunk to remember her fingers straying off course to explore the lines of his shoulder blades and the tightly coiled muscles she had found there.

Sakura prayed she hadn't ruined their friendship in her drunken state. Nearly the entire time she had been braiding his hair, Madara had been tense. She was positive she had upset him even farther when she had accidentally yanked on his hair as it took him a long moment to speak after she had apologized. He hadn't even acknowledged her apology at all...

Pausing in her search, she thought of his exploration of her hand the night before, of the sensation of his calloused fingertips mapping each and every scar and crease of her palm. With an embarrassed flush, she dropped her forehead against the edge of the shelf.

She had been so out of control that she had nearly kissed him...

She had been breathless when Madara had explored her hand but, when he had threaded their fingers together, she had forgotten how to breathe entirely. When he had turned to face her, obviously out of concern for her odd behavior, they had been so close that their noses had nearly touched.

Sakura remembered how mesmerized she had been by his slowly spinning tomoe and how she had been incrementally closing the distance between them, thinking of nothing but finally satisfying her desires and kissing the man she had fallen in love with.

Just the thought of that moment had her heart racing once again.

And then Madara had broken eye contact and roped his arm around her shoulders, effectively rebuffing her would be affections.

Sakura thudded her forehead against the shelf as embarrassment tensed all the muscles in her body. What an idiot she had been. Certainly enough of one to greedily take advantage of Madara's embrace, curling up against him like a kitten desperate for affection. Good gods, he was probably horrified to have woken up with her wrapped around him like a damn starfish…

She withheld the groan of humiliation building in her chest as she continued to dig through her bottles of medication only to find none of the one she was looking for. It was then that she remembered how she had tried to make a new batch the day before her birthday and how they had come out so poorly that they had gone into the trash.

While it may be an unnecessary drain on her chakra, the least she could do was tend to all of their hangovers after they had gone through the trouble of celebrating her birthday. It was the least she could do as an apology to Madara after offending him so many times in her floundering, drunken state.

Sakura shuffled away from her medicine cabinet and towards her kitchen cupboards, intending to at least make some tea for them all. She made quick but sloppy work of setting up her tea kettle above her barely smoldering hearth, each clang of the metal pot sounding like an explosion to her frazzled and throbbing brain. She rekindled the fire purely on muscle memory, returning it to its usual glory.

As she waited for the water to boil, she lifted her hands, glowing green with healing chakra, to her head to begin to soothe the pain clawing at the insides of her skull. By the time the water was ready, the sharp ache behind her eyes had subsided but the humiliation still remained.

She unhooked the kettle and brought it, as well as the cups and tea leaves, to the table in her living room that both Uchiha brothers now sat at. Izuna remained blissfully unconscious with his face plastered to the table top, completely unaware of the world around him or the headache that was waiting for him, while Madara was nearly folded over the low table, his forehead cradled in his hand and his eyes shut.

When Sakura set the kettle on the table a bit more roughly than she had intended, the elder cringed as if wounded. The younger, however, jerked upright with a gasp of air only drop his face into his hands with a groan.

"Sweet gods, why…" Izuna whined, his hands muffling his voice.

"Please don't speak…" Madara muttered in response, shooting a weak glare at his younger brother through his long bangs.

As Sakura quietly poured them all cups of tea, Izuna tilted his head to squint at his brother.

Despite the pain undoubtedly coursing through his head in time with his heartbeat, he had the strength to chuckle, even if it was with a wince. "Lovely braid, brother."

Madara used his free hand to pat at his hair and to bring his still braided locks over his shoulder. He squinted at the complex braid, his expression a combination of confusion and discomfort. "What…"

"It's called a fishtail braid," Sakura explained in a soft voice as she went about picking up the dishes of sake, some still full, and replacing them with cups of hot tea, "My friend taught me all kinds of braids when we were kids."

"When did you braid his hair?" the young clan head asked, sitting up just enough to take his cup into his hands.

"Sometime after you passed out during the competition," she returned with a teasing grin before scooting closer to Madara.

The elder Uchiha eyed her curiously from beneath his bangs, his own cup loosely cradled in his hands, as she settled down next to him.

"My way of, er… apologizing," Sakura muttered, unable to meet his eyes, as she raised her hand, already glowing green with chakra.

"Apologizing…?" he grumbled in response, his eyebrows coming together in confusion.

"Yes, um... Sorry. And thank you both for coming over last night," she explained, quickly changing the topic. She was grateful that Izuna had still been sleeping when Madara and her had woken up and she didn't want to explain exactly why she was apologizing with said younger brother now fully conscious and watching them both curiously.

Madara nodded almost imperceptibly in response, gazing into his cup as she gingerly placed her hand against the side of his head. She made quick work of his headache, watching as his pained expression faded away.

Once done, Sakura pulled her hand away and instructed, "Drink some of that or it'll come back."

As Madara took a sip from the cup still cradled in his hand, Izuna eyed them both with his all too perceptive gaze. Thankfully, however, he said nothing of the silent tension between her and his brother. Instead, he waited patiently for Sakura to settle next to him and repeat the same process on him.

"Wow, that's a handy trick," Izuna commented once Sakura had finished, already following her previous instructions by taking a drink from his tea.

"One of the more unusual medical techniques. I can also speed up the body's processing of alcohol to sober up quicker. I wasn't kidding when I told you my mentor was a drunk," she explained with a shrug, settling back into her own seat and picking up her steaming cup.

"That explains it then!" Izuna declared suddenly, shooting her a dirty look and pointing at her in accusation, "You _cheated_ during our game last night, didn't you?"

Sakura hid her smile in the rim of her drink, taking a slow sip and shrugging noncommittally. "I could teach you, if you want."

The younger brother's ire faded as curiosity got the best of him. "You could?"

"Yes. Well, maybe... It depends on whether or not you have an aptitude for it," she explained, grateful for the conversation with Izuna to buffer the awkwardness between her and Madara.

"I might take you up on that," Izuna huffed after a moment, abandoning his previous upset as he took another deep sip from his tea.

As the silence dragged on, Izuna's eyes flicked between Sakura and Madara suspiciously. The lack of conversation, and the fact they both refused to look at one another, was far from usual for the both of them. Despite Sakura's hope that he couldn't, the observant Uchiha could tell that something was amiss.

"Are you alright, brother?" he commented in a tone that spoke more than his simple words.

"Hm?" Madara started, lost in thought, before quickly tacking on, "Ah, yes, fine."

Izuna eyed his brother suspiciously for a long moment but didn't press, instead turning his gaze back to Sakura.

"We should probably return to our home. It's bad enough we stayed the night," he sighed, finishing off his drink in one long gulp.

"Why is it bad you slept over?" Sakura asked curiously, one eyebrow quirked, as she lifted her own cup to her lips.

"Because the rest of the clan is going to think Madara and I have entered into a polyamorous relationship with you," Izuna explained bluntly, making Sakura choke on her tea.

"W-what!?" she sputtered in response, her cheeks rapidly heating up until they nearly matched the color of her hair, "People are going to-they'll think that we were-we were taking turns or something?!"

"Or something," he replied simply as Madara immediately placed his face in his hand to hide his own reddening face.

"Oh gods, go. Go go go, before people notice!" Sakura hissed, making a frantic waving motion with her hands.

"It's the afternoon. Everyone knows by now. We've probably already missed a few messengers and..." Izuna started before his eyes widened with a sudden realization, "We really must leave."

He stood quickly, Madara following suit after finishing the final sip of his tea. As Izuna hurried to fetch his shoes, he tossed a "Happy birthday again, Sakura," over his shoulder.

The elder Uchiha, however, lingered next to the table, considering his parting words.

"Happy birthday, Sakura," Madara started, bringing Sakura back to the night before when he had whispered those same words into the crown of her head, "And I apologize as well."

He turned on his heel without another word, striding out of the room and towards the front door to collect his shoes.

As Sakura heard her front door slide shut, signaling the brothers had left, she immediately dropped her face into her hands in embarrassment. Now, not only had she humiliated herself in her drunken state the night before but now her patients were going to think she was some kind of seductress having three-ways with the clan heads.

She finally allowed herself to release a humiliated groan as she tugged at her tangled locks.

* * *

The brothers rapidly made their way towards their home, moving quickly to avoid any contact with other members of their family. While they both knew that there would be backlash for their drunken mistake, they wanted to avoid an unwanted confrontation in the middle of their village while still wearing their rumpled clothes and reeking of sake.

The inevitable berating from the clan elders would be painful enough when they finally came to input their unwanted opinion, let alone with an audience. The elders may be a highly respected and intelligent lot, only having survived into their advanced age due to their skill, but they were also unbearably haughty and distrustful of outsiders.

An encounter with them was best put off for as long as possible, especially when something had occurred that was an affront to their values.

As the brothers tried to quietly enter their home through the side concealed by flowering azaleas, two middle aged maids dutifully scrubbing the engawa perked up from their work to give them both odd stares. Their curious gazes flicked from Izuna to Madara before drifting down Madara's back, following the intricate braid trailing down his back. Madara shot them a glare and the two both immediately returned to their work, pretending as if they hadn't seen anything although knowing smirks quirked the edges of their lips.

As the clan heads slid open a shoji door and entered into their home, they immediately split apart and went their separate ways without another word. The younger trudged into his designated portion of their too large house while the elder strode into his.

The main house which they both called home was designed to house the normally abundant members of the clan leader's immediate family. The previous owner of the home, the former and now deceased leader of the clan, had six children, three siblings, and thirteen nieces and nephews. The house had been filled to the brim with family and the home had seen actual use. All now laid dead, besides a handful of the previous clan head's nieces, nephews, and the widows and widowers who had moved to different houses in their village. None complained as the main house served not only as the home of the clan heads but as a bitter reminder of their dead siblings, spouses, and children.

With just Madara and his brother now leading the clan, the majority of the home served little purpose besides reminding Madara of his own dead siblings and parents with its emptiness. How, if his parents and younger brothers still lived, the house could have been suitable for them.

As Madara strode down the sprawling hallways towards his bedroom, he thought of how he sometimes missed their old home, a cramp two bedroom house in the center of their village. More than anything, he knew it was a longing for a simpler time rather than a longing for the creaky, breezy home he had once shared with his brothers, his mother, and his father. For a time spent teaching his four young brothers how to wield a sword, how to swim, and even how to walk when they were babes.

He nearly allowed himself the bittersweet pleasure of envisioning the home filled with his and Sakura's children but thought better of it. To fantasize of such impossibilities would lead to nothing but heartache.

Madara finally entered his bedroom and passed into his bathing room with a heavy sigh, dispelling such thoughts immediately as he crossed the threshold. After relieving himself, he stood before the sink with the intention of brushing the nauseating taste of lingering sake out of his mouth. When he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, however, his eyes shot back to his reflection in shock.

Sweet gods, what had that woman done to his hair? He rather liked the braid, easily able to admire the skill that went into weaving it, especially considering how inebriated Sakura had been while she had braided it. More than that, he could nearly feel the sensation of her hands in his hair and against his back as she had weaved it once again, her gentle affection something that had shocked him in the pleasure it had given him.

He never would have thought he would be able to tolerate someone being behind him, the sensation always one that filled him with unease, but here Sakura had done it...

Even with how incredible the braid was, Madara couldn't bring himself to allow it to remain any longer. He found the end of the braid and hastily began to unwind it, surprised by how difficult it was to unravel. Each strand of his long hair was purposefully woven into the masterpiece he began to feel guilty for unwinding. Once he finally finished unfurling the simultaneously complex yet simple braid, he ran his fingers through his hair to return it to his normal state.

When his gaze fell upon the mirror once again, however, his jaw dropped as he took in the state of his hair. After having been tied down in the braid for the entire night, his hair clung to the shape of the braid. Instead of his hair shooting off in its normally wild state, it fell down his back in numerous curls and was exponentially... _fluffier_.

Deciding that there was only one way to right the unmanageable disaster that clung to his head now that the braid had been unwound, Madara quickly turned the knobs on his shower and nearly ripped off his wrinkled clothes in his haste to hop into the steaming stream.

* * *

When Madara finally emerged from his portion of the clan head household, dressed in a clean set of clothes and with water still weighing down his impossible to dry hair, and entered the study he shared with his brother, Izuna gave him a pointed look.

Madara met his stare with a look of agitation and his brother merely quirked an eyebrow in response. The elder Uchiha sat down heavily in front of the low table loaded down with scrolls, intent on sorting through as many of the mission requests as possible to distract himself from the events of the previous night and that morning.

As he picked a scroll at random and began reading through it, Izuna finally spoke. "I met with one of the messengers a short while ago. Nothing of import happened during our absence."

"Good," Madara replied with a nod without looking up from the text.

The silence dragged on and, despite the lack of conversation, Madara could feel his brother's eyes lingering on him. He ignored the sensation until he found himself reading the same sentence multiple times, distracted by Izuna's persistent gaze.

"What?" he grumbled as his eyes snapped up to meet his brother's.

"I find myself curious…" Izuna started, one eyebrow still perched high on his forehead, "Did you take a shower to wash Sakura's scent off of you?"

Madara's expressions morphed into one of confusion before he repeated, "What?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you smelled like the perfumes she uses on her robes this morning. Among _other_ things. I'm assuming because you two slept together last night..." the younger Uchiha explained simply, eyeing him even more critically.

Shock and alarm flooded Madara at the thought of his brother having caught him and Sakura wrapped up in each others' arms. Izuna had been asleep! And they had woken up before him! When had he witnessed him holding Sakura like one would a lover?

"How did you know!? You were asleep!" Madara demanded, his eyes narrowing at his younger brother.

Izuna's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in his shock before he blurted, "You really did have sex with her?! It was just a hunch based on how you two were acting this morning but, brother, are you mad?! I know her village had this birth control but-"

"Sweet gods, quiet! We didn't have-! No!" Madara interrupted, rapidly gesturing for Izuna to lower his voice.

"But you just said-"

"I said we slept together, not that we _slept together_!" he hissed in a low voice.

Izuna's eyebrows came together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Gods, nothing," Madara muttered in response, dragging his hand down his face as his agitation rose.

A slow grin spread across Izuna's lips as understanding dawned. "Oh? Did you two _cuddle_ last night?"

"Shut up."

"You did! How adorable! Was this before or after she braided your hair? I'm surprised you let her sit behind you."

"Silence."

"Did you two spoon or did you fall asleep gazing into each others' eyes?"

Madara leveled his brother with the harshest glare he could manage with his face burning with embarrassment. "Do you remember that time at the river when we were eight?"

Izuna's gleeful and teasing expression immediately dropped from his face. Oh, he knew _exactly_ what he was referring to. "I-uh… Yes?"

"If you keep talking, I swear I will do it again," he threatened venomously.

"You wouldn't!" Izuna's expression morphed from one of dismay to one of challenge, his eyes narrowing. "You _couldn't_!"

"Test me," Madara growled in response, staring into his brother's eyes unblinkingly to convey the severity of the threat he had given.

Izuna's challenging expression faded in the face of his brother's vehemence. He saw how very serious his threat was and soon broke eye contact. He attempted nonchalance by plucking a scroll from the table and unwinding the cord holding it shut.

With the room now silent, Madara could finally focus on these mission requests and decide who to send on each mission. Or at least he had thought. Even without his brother's lingering gaze and without his taunting, he found he could not concentrate on the words written upon the scroll in front of him.

His thoughts kept drifting away from the tedious work to the events of the night before and that morning.

Sober now, Madara began to rethink what had happened that night. His recollection was foggy at best for the majority of the night before but was incredibly crisp for some parts, namely when his sharingan had been active.

One memory was clearer to him than any other, and that was when him and Sakura had been face to face, their noses nearly brushing. He had looked so deeply into her eyes with his sharingan that he could remember every speck of color in her barely visible irises. At first he had thought her eyes were a simple sea green, but now he knew better.

Contained within her irises were all the shades of green he could imagine; hues that brought back warm memories of nature and beauty.

Shades of green that reminded him of the leaves of the oak trees that surrounded his village in the spring. Of the unending, sea-like meadows of the far west. Of the sage brush that his mother used to tend to with special care, whispering to him how the aromatic plant would grant them all long lives as if it was a great secret. Of the sour sudachi fruits his brothers and him would dare each other to eat raw in their childhood. Of the emerald geode he had once found in the center of a charred battlefield, unearthed and cracked open by an earth jutsu and a thing of beauty standing out so starkly against the backdrop of the still burning landscape.

The greens of Sakura's eyes brought with them memories of lush forests and flowering flora. She overflowed with the energy of life. She epitomized life.

What piqued Madara's attention even more than the greens of her eyes and the life they represented was her widely dilated pupils which embodied an entirely different kind of life.

Instead of flowing meadows and unending woodlands, the pitch blackness of her pupils symbolized darkened bedrooms, the darkness of the back of one's eyelids when closed in pleasure, and acts of ecstasy hidden beneath concealing layers of blankets. They expressed the life that resulted from passion.

They expressed to him that, at that moment, Sakura had felt what he had. Her pupils were to her as his unconsciously activated sharingan was to him. A tell.

Sakura had wanted him too. Gods, _she would have kissed him back_ …

But she had been drunk, they had both been drunk. Would she have regretted it, waking up that morning knowing they had kissed? Would it have escalated further, in their drunken state? Would they have…?

Madara mentally shook himself as he began rereading the sections of the scroll his eyes had skimmed over unseeingly in his contemplation. This only worked for a few sentences before his thoughts separated from the paper before him and instead returned to that morning.

He couldn't remember a time in which he had woken up so warm and comfortable. So contented. He didn't think he'd ever admit to anyone, least of all Sakura, that he had woken up some time before she had. He had been selfish. He had allowed himself to bask in her accidental affections, in the feeling of her warm body which fit against his so flawlessly.

Madara wasn't sure when the last time he had been held was. Perhaps it was when his mother had comforted him after he had fallen from a tree as a child. He couldn't remember. But he would never forget the bliss of being held by Sakura, of holding her.

When she had finally begun to stir that morning, his arms had tightened around her to bring her back to him. To bask in her warm embrace for just a bit longer.

' _Just a few more seconds_ ,' he had thought. ' _Just a few more moments of this comfort and I'll be sated for the rest of my days.'_

Madara wasn't sure he even believed himself. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be satisfied with the scant few minutes he had spent holding Sakura and basking in her warmth. As he sat at that table, desperately trying to focus his thoughts on the paper before him and not on the woman who had stolen his heart, he knew that his promise had been a lie.

* * *

 _A/N: A sudachi is a small, green citrus fruit that is very sour. It's not meant to be eaten like a orange but is rather used as a flavoring for foods like lemons or limes. That's why Madara and his brothers dared each other to eat them as kids._


	19. Backlash

_A/N: I came to a realization recently while responding to reviews and asks on my Tumblr (Astroavis, be sure to check it out for all the fanart and bonus scenes!): I neglected to space out these glimpses into the future. I kind of bunched them all up in the beginning of the story and didn't spread them out. Whoops! One of these days I'll go back and fix that._

* * *

Shikamaru sighed heavily as his eyes drifted off the scroll sitting before him. His weary gaze settled on the messy pile of books and half opened scrolls sitting on the table before him before it drifted further to regard his companions.

The sight of Kakashi deep into a book was not an uncommon one, but seeing his concentrated expression as he stared into a book that was decidedly not of the Make-Out series was surely rare.

The sight of Naruto staring deeply into a scroll however, was the rarest sight of all. The blond had a pinched expression and his face was so close to the paper that Shikamaru wasn't even sure if he could read the words printed on the page. Naruto's determination to bring Sakura home showed most during these research sessions. The blond even remained silent as he read, two things that were so out of character for him that Shikamaru worried for his mental health.

Weeks. It had been two weeks since Sakura's disappearance and they had yet to come up with anything of merit.

All of the libraries had been destroyed during Pain's debilitating attack and the scant texts that had been recovered mentioned nothing of a signature on a summoning scroll turning black or of a space time jutsu derived from the sharingan.

They had turned to a few shinobi in Konoha who were familiar with summoning jutsu but they had little to nothing to offer. They had even enlisted the help of the Hidden Sand, but the Sand's liaison and a woman who was familiar with summonings as well, Temari, offered nothing they didn't already know. She had been just as baffled by their predicament as they were and, even after bringing fourth her own contract with her weasel summon Kamatari to search for signatures that may have turned black, they found nothing.

Even more than that, the only Uchiha besides Sasuke who remained alive was a missing ninja named Madara who had betrayed the village nearly a century ago and who somehow still lived. A missing ninja who worked with the Akatsuki and who had declared war on all of the shinobi nations shortly before Sakura's disappearance.

The individual who had the capability of assisting them the most with this mystery involving Sakura's summoning contract, Jiraiya, was dead.

Shikamaru leaned back into his chair and stared at the ceiling of the wooden building, crafted by their overworked and sole wood jutsu user Yamato, as if it contained the answers he needed. Drifting inward in contemplation, he considered their situation.

Sakura, after joining the battle between Danzo and Sasuke, had disappeared from the field. Their surly prisoner, Karin, had insisted that Sasuke had attacked Danzo and Sakura with Ameterasu, a jutsu which had enveloped Danzo and Sakura both, and that Danzo had activated a sharingan based space time jutsu which had caused them both to vanish. She asserted that while Danzo appeared just a moment later, uninjured, Sakura didn't.

While her story sounded like a lie, Ino, who had recently ascended to a high ranking position in the Torture and Interrogation Unit, had delved into their prisoner's mind and corroborated her story. Shikamaru had no doubts in Ino's skill with her family's jutsu and knew that she was desperate for anything she could use to bring her best friend home. While Karin's story sounded like a lie, it was the truth.

These facts, however, only added to the confusion. One would assume that Sakura would have been transported backwards in time for a short period, as was the jutsu's apparent function. Instead of appearing when Danzo had, however, she was gone entirely.

After having thought of nothing but summoning jutsu for the last couple weeks, his contemplation kept veering back to summonings when he tried to consider the problem from a different angle. He kept trying to dislodge this line of thought in order to come up with a viable solution, even just a hypothesis, but no matter what he did, his thoughts remained on summonings.

As his frustration rose, Shikamaru had a moment of clarity: What if a summoning jutsu was the key for returning Sakura home?

His companions noticed when he steepled his fingers, a habit he had picked up to assist in his ruminations, even though he did not notice their attention. Neither Kakashi nor Naruto interrupted his thoughts, so when the Nara's consciousness finally returned to the world surrounding him, he was surprised by their intense focus on him.

"Any ideas?" Kakashi broached, sounding as exhausted as Shikamaru felt.

"Maybe… I'm not sure how it would work let alone if it could work," he grumbled in response, crossing his arms across his chest as his thoughtful gaze returned to the ceiling.

"And?" Naruto pressed, his unusually quiet voice containing a sliver of hope.

"Summoning scrolls are used to bring beings from other dimensions, other places separated from our world, to ours. What if we made a scroll that could summon Sakura? It should be able to reach her, even if she's somehow outside of our world," Shikamaru theorized, watching as Naruto's expression began to betray his rising hope.

Naruto's increasingly hopeful expression was quashed by Kakashi's rebuttal. "We already tried that with Lady Katsuyu… She's actually tied to Sakura through the contract she has with the slugs. Don't you think that Lady Katsuyu's attempt to summon Sakura would have worked if this unique summoning jutsu would?"

"Not if the summoning contract was somehow… tainted. Sakura's signature turned black on the scroll, so perhaps Lady Katsuyu was unable to reach her because the contract had been made invalid."

"How could a summoning contract be made invalid?"

Shikamaru sighed heavily. "I'm not entirely sure… Maybe she's in another dimension, like another summoning's lands. The snakes, maybe, if Sasuke had anything to do with it. Or maybe her chakra has been sealed and the connection between her and Lady Katsuyu has been cut…"

"If that's true, then how would making a summoning scroll for Sakura in particular help?"

"Maybe Lady Katsuyu's attempt to summon Sakura only failed because the contract is invalid. If we made a scroll, a new summoning for just Sakura, we might be able to create a new link."

"Who could make a new summoning scroll?" Naruto interrupted, his voice tightly leashed but his body betraying his tension and excitement.

"We'd need a sealing expert…" Shikamaru replied softly, a sympathetic pain erupting in his chest as Naruto's expression fell.

Not only had Naruto lost Sasuke to his quest for revenge and Jiraiya in a battle against Pain, but now he had lost his only remaining teammate, Sakura, to unknown circumstances. He couldn't imagine the depths of pain Naruto must feel to lose so many of his precious people in such a short span of time.

Shikamaru watched in amazement as Naruto's expression morphed from despair to determination. The blond gave both of them a comforting smile - for himself or them, Shikamaru had no idea - as he jolted to his feet.

"Granny Tsunade should know someone. We'll figure this out. We'll make this summoning scroll and we'll bring Sakura home! Believe it!" he declared before turning on his heel and bolting out the door, books and scrolls entirely forgotten in his haste.

Shikamaru smiled to himself, the respect he had for Naruto growing, before turning to regard Kakashi. It was hard to tell with that ever present mask of his, but Shikamaru was positive that the silver haired jonin was smiling as well.

Naruto's enthusiasm was infectious, it appeared, because at that moment, Shikamaru was positive that they would indeed bring Sakura home.

* * *

Madara had a great respect for the elders of his clan. They were both talented shinobi and their skill and intelligence had allowed them to survive into their old age. Their assistance had been beneficial when Madara had taken over as leader of the clan and their support for his and his brother's ascendance had made taking over leadership much smoother than it could have been.

Now, however, with the two elderly Uchiha having barged into his home in the late evening and with them now dominating his space with their haughty behavior and venomous words, he saw none of that intelligence.

Daichi, a man who understandably knew little but anger and tradition, perched on one of the cushions surrounding Madara's table with his spine straight as a rod. His now completely gray braid nearly reached the tatami mats, even with it thrown over one shoulder and hanging across his chest.

Lady Arisu, a woman who was also of the wrathful sort yet conversely tended to their ever growing library, sat with the same stone spine posture. Her long, graying black hair was perched on the top of her head in a utilitarian bun and her schooled expression showed little of what she thought. A finely carved wooden cane, which both Uchiha brothers knew contained a sword within, laid across her lap in an intentionally non-threatening fashion.

"This illegitimate, polyamorous affair with the outsider has brought shame onto our clan," Daichi hissed, the scowl on his face betraying where the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth had grown from.

Madara returned the scowl in response, angered not just by his blatant accusation but at his comment that Sakura was still an outsider. Besides not sharing their bloodline, she had proved to them that she was very much a part of their clan. He would think that Daichi would show her the same respect, especially since she had saved the life of his granddaughter after she had been caught in the explosion from a paper bomb just a few short months ago.

"Neither of us, let alone both of us, are in a physical relationship with Sakura," he replied, his tone controlled but venom just below the surface.

"Yet you speak her name so informally. What other reason would there be for such affection?" Arisu commented, a forced, blank expression on her regal face. While the female elder's face betrayed nothing, her words expressed that she too thought of their words as lies.

"That is because she is a trusted friend and an asset to this clan," he answered, his glare shooting from Daichi to Arisu.

"The lack of self control on both of your parts is sickening. You have tainted yourselves with that seductresses body," Daichi interrupted, disregarding Madara's words to instead input his unwanted opinion, "You spit in the face of our values as Uchiha."

"A studious and respectable woman she may be, she is still an outsider. She has not yet been wed into the clan and your inability to tame your libidos can now lead to her making off with our sharingan," Arisu added, her vague fondness for Sakura surfacing even though it was shadowed by her disdain for their assumed actions.

"She is no seductress and your insults against her are what bring shame to our family. She is our prized medic and a woman who has done nothing but help us for such a small price," Madara returned, remaining calm even as their insults fanned his rage even further.

"Us staying the night at her home was a simple, innocent mistake. Nothing more," Izuna added, his expression carefully neutral, much as Arisu's.

"Such bold faced lies coming from the men who are supposed to lead our family. That whorish outsider and her scandalous ways have already influenced you both negatively," Daichi hissed, insulting not only Sakura, but now them by questioning their honor.

Madara's rage multiplied tenfold at the elder's blatant disrespect for their medic, himself, and his brother.

Sakura had done nothing but treat every member of their family with the utmost respect while treating any ails they may have with proficiency and kindness. She asked for little and what she did demand was only to improve what she could do as a healer, to help them. She provided for them nothing but healing, skill, and companionship, and to hear such insults against her made his blood boil.

Even more than that, Daichi's insults against both him and his brother fanned his rising anger even farther. In the years that he had lead the clan, he had done so justly and with the happiness and safety of his family as his highest priority, even higher than his own happiness or his own dreams. To have his honor questioned in such a way disregarded all he had done for the clan, all the sacrifices he made, and all of the suffering he had subjected himself to for the good of his family.

When he had taken over leadership of the clan, he had once again forgotten his rekindled dreams of peace to keep his family happy and to keep all of them together. His hopeful, younger self, that childish voice having diminished to static in the background of his mind as he grew into a man, had cried out in glee after he had been chosen to become the clan head... only to be silenced once again when he realized seeking peace with the Senju at this time would lead to his family splitting down the middle. That it would lead to his family fighting with itself, the opposite side favoring war and more than likely being led by his own Senju-hating brother.

Madara had sacrificed everything he dreamed for the safety of his family and now the clan elders dared to question his honor or his integrity? Dared to question his decision to bring in Sakura to save the lives of his clan? Dared insult her after all she had done for them?

Madara forced his voice to remain calm and even, refusing to react in a way unbecoming of the clan leader even in the face of such blatant disrespect. "Enough. You may believe whatever falsities you wish, but you are not to speak of her in such a disrespectful fashion after all she has done for our family. After all the lives she had saved, including your own granddaughter."

"And what if we continue to speak the truth?" Daichi growled in response.

Madara's statement hadn't been a threat, but if Daichi wanted one, he would give him one.

"As the leader of our clan, I take your opinions into consideration due to your supposed wisdom, although I see none of it with your current behavior. However, if I discover that either of you have been harassing _Sakura_ , I will instead seek your wisdom on the battlefield. You both must have done something right to survive into your advanced age. Perhaps your skills would be put to better use during the next conflict against the Senju."

Horror immediately donned on both the elder's faces although they quickly reeled their visible emotions back. They could both certainly still fight, but nowhere near as well as they could in their younger years. To step foot onto a battlefield now, against men and women a quarter of their age, could spell death.

"You would sentence us to death for speaking the truth about the outsider?" Daichi replied, shock still coloring his words even though his anger overpowered it.

"I would reintegrate you into our war parties should you continue to slander one of our comrades. You have lived many years, surviving now only due to the deaths of our family on the battlefield. Deaths that have been prevented by the woman you claim to know the nature of."

Daichi opened his mouth, preparing for the inevitable argument, but was silenced by Arisu's hand on his knee. He released the breath he had gathered to fuel his tirade as his eyes shot to her. While her expression remained neutral, her eyes spoke for her.

Daichi's livid gaze settled back on the Uchiha clan head but, with his anger now tempered by Arisu's stern gaze, he recognized the fire in Madara's eyes. The leashed fury tensing the bodies of both brothers.

"Very well then. Should this… kunoichi betray us, the proper response falls upon your shoulders," Daichi grumbled as he slowly stood.

He stood and left without another word as Arisu rose to her feet as well, bringing her carved wooden cane with her. She bowed to the clan heads, giving them a respectful farewell, before following Daichi.

The tension abandoned the room the moment that the clan elders exited. Madara huffed in frustration, his fury still lingering in his chest. Izuna pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, sighing deeply to try to rid himself of his own agitation.

"That seemed a tad... harsh. Perhaps too harsh? Was that the proper response?" Izuna questioned, his eyes drifting over to Madara.

"Was it proper of them to insult Sakura in such a way after everything she's done for our family? The dozen lives she's saved and the dozens more lives she has improved? Is such disrespect merited against her for our mistake? Or against us, after everything we've done?" he immediately retorted.

Izuna nodded thoughtfully as a soft sigh left his lips. "I suppose it just feels wrong to threaten the elderly with what is essentially death."

"And if it had been one of the butchers insulting her?" the elder brother returned, referring to the young men and women who hunted and butchered the game in the forest surrounding them but who did not participate in the battles the clan waged. "Would it seem more fair to send them into battle to learn the value of a medic of her skill?"

"Ah, good point…"

Silence reigned for a long few moments, the agitation from dealing with the slanderous clan elders still poisoning the atmosphere of the room.

The younger brother glanced towards the ranma lining the ceiling of his brother's study, noting the orange light from the setting sun, before he spoke again, "Spar?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

"It's strange. All of my patients have been treating me oddly today. Most just seem far more curious and, er… invasive than usual. A woman came in for a simple cut and spent the whole time asking me if I had children and what I thought of them. But some people are being outright hostile," Sakura commented as she took a sip from her tea. She absentmindedly toyed with a long blade of grass with her bare toes, her feet hanging off the side of her engawa.

Hitomi, who sat next to her on the engawa and nursed a cup of tea of her own, nodded thoughtfully in response, gazing at the clouds that drifted through the sky and blocked out the midday sun.

"That's simple. It's just because the clan heads slept in your home. Many think you are romantically involved with one of them. Some think both," she explained, her eyes drifting to look out at the grove of plum trees across from Sakura's home, their branches now lush and green and interspersed with budding flowers.

Sakura dropped her head into her palm, cringing at the thought that some of the members of the clan she worked for thought she was in a relationship with both of the brothers.

"We just got too drunk, nothing like that happened at all. We just passed out in my living room," she lamented, decidedly not including how she had slept in Madara's arms that night.

Hitomi chuckled, hiding her grin behind the rim of her cup as her amused gaze returned to her friend. "Who held their drink the best?"

Sakura huffed out a laugh, grateful for her friend not only believing her but distracting her from her embarrassment. "Me, if you don't consider my jutsu cheating. Madara if you do. Izuna passed out face first on my table halfway through our drinking contest."

The blue eyed Uchiha snorted in amusement at the thought of one of the leaders of her family snoring into a tabletop, surrounded by half finished dishes of sake. Her laughter was infectious, soon dragging bubbly giggles from the medic beside her.

As they both shared a laugh at the expense of the younger of the brothers, two women, dressed in fine kimonos, strolled down the pathway resting between Sakura's home and the grove of plum trees. Their own conversation became hushed as they concealed their whispers behind their hands and shot menacing glares towards Sakura as they passed.

As the women passed close enough for Sakura and Hitomi to hear their words, one of the women, her long, sleek black hair trailing down her back, gave Sakura a foul look before loudly whispering, "Harlot."

Sakura's previous laughter, and the joy that came with it, died on her lips. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, nothing of import to you, thief," the other woman, her own pitch black hair tossed over her shoulder in a complex braid, hissed in response.

"Excuse me?" Sakura growled, her chest tightening as rage built inside of her.

"You heard correctly. When do you plan on leaving? Once you know the pregnancy has taken?" the second woman sneered, her eyes purposefully dropping to the medic's stomach as her lip curled in disgust.

Faster than Sakura had ever seen the cook move, Hitomi flew off of the engawa, closed the small distance between her and the women, and slapped the woman who had just spoken across the cheek. The woman's head jerked to the side under the force of Hitomi's blow before she swung back around the glare at Hitomi with all she was worth.

Sakura's jaw would have dropped in shock if she wasn't overwhelmed by anger. Slipping down from the engawa, she prepared for whatever would come next, whether it was to break up a fight or join one should these women be kunoichi.

"Misaki! Kiku! How dare you speak so poorly of the woman who has saved the lives of your brothers, your family?!" Hitomi berated, her dainty hands forming fists at her sides.

"She has probably been in wait for one of them to bed her so she can make off with our sharingan! She's undoubtedly ecstatic she was able to seduce both of the strongest members of our clan for her thieving ways!" the woman with braided hair, Misaki, seethed in response, fists also forming at her side although she did not raise them.

"I have done no such thing!" Sakura hissed, taking a menacing step forward.

Even though Misaki and Kiku both took a step backwards, retreating from the intimidating kunoichi, it did not stop Kiku's venomous words. "So you're just a simple whore then, spreading your legs for whoever treats you kindly? No wonder your village was destroyed if it produced such unseemly women such as yourself."

Sakura saw red.

She jolted forward, too fast for the women to react, before grabbing their shoulders, gripping them so tightly that she knew her fingertips would leave bruises. Even with her fury stealing away her words, she prevented herself from using enough chakra to break their collar bones, as she knew she easily could. Despite her self control, her hands trembled under the force of her rage and against the desire to break their bones.

Misaki and Kiku grabbed at the kunoichi's hands, leaving scratches on her knuckles from their long nails, as they tried to pry her unmovable fingers from their shoulders.

It took a long moment for Sakura to gather her thoughts and restrain her rage, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. When she finally spoke, it was quiet but menacing.

"You can believe whatever backwards, idiotic thing you want. I don't care. The opinions of people like you mean _nothing_ to me. But don't you _ever_ speak of my home in such a way again. I'll give you this one warning, out of respect for your family…"

She increased her grip incrementally, the women's faces contorted in pain as they clawed uselessly at Sakura's fingers.

"If you ever say anything about my village again, I won't be so kind."

When she finally released her hold, Misaki and Kiku immediately skittered out of Sakura's reach, their hands reaching up to nurse their injured shoulders. They glanced at one another for a moment, apprehension coloring their twisted features, before their gazes returned to Sakura standing above them, her fists tightly clenched at her sides. Without another word or a look over their shoulders, the women quickly scrambled away, retreating from the furious kunoichi and the equally furious Uchiha.

After a few long, tense moments, Hitomi stepped over to Sakura and placed a comforting hand on her upper arm.

"I'm so sorry… I can't believe they would ever say such despicable things," Hitomi tried to comfort.

Sakura nodded dimly, her gaze dropping to the ground as her anger retreated like an ebbing tide. She tried to grasp at it, to hold onto her fury, as the feeling of despair settled in her heart. It was easier to be angry than it was to face her sorrow. She could feel hot tears building in her eyes despite trying her best to fight against them, and humiliation soon made its home within her with her misery.

"Thank you for standing up for me, Hitomi, but, I… I'd like to be alone now," Sakura whispered, desperately holding back her tears.

"Of course…" Hitomi replied softly, "Please let me know if you need anything."

Sakura nodded once again, no longer trusting her own voice. She knew that if she spoke, her words would be shaky and broken and she would no longer be able to hold back the sob threatening to spill free from her lips.

Hitomi squeezed her arm in comfort before releasing her and walking away. Sakura rapidly turned and strode into her house, hiding the tear that had slipped free behind her bangs.

She wanted to run out into the forest to destroy something. She wanted to renovate a section of the woods to vent her wrath. She wanted to be furious because it was so much easier to be angry than it was to be sad. Despite clinging to her anger in the hopes it would hold back her crippling sorrow, it slipped away from her, leaving her alone with her anguish.

As Sakura slumped down at her table, her hands coming up to hide her face as the tears fell unhindered, she was overwhelmed by her despair. For nearly a year, she had desperately struggled to find a way home. Yet, no matter how hard she worked, she had discovered nothing. She was no closer to returning home to her family, her friends… her home.

She missed them all so much. She missed them so much it felt like a piece of her heart had been stolen from her. She missed them so much that she was desperate for even the most annoying things they all did.

She missed her mother berating her for not putting her shoes away when she got home. She missed her father's awful jokes. She missed Naruto's brashness and how he always smelled like ramen. She missed Ino teasing her about her forehead. She missed Kakashi, his nose deep in his filthy novels as he thoroughly ignored the rest of the world. She missed Yamato and the terrifying face he'd make when he was upset with them. She even missed Sai calling her ugly.

Alone with her sorrows, Sakura finally released the restraint she had on her sobs and allowed herself to break down for the first time since the woman in the merchant city had lost her baby.

* * *

Madara thought that he had been upset by the disrespectful words of the clan elders the previous day, but hearing of the altercation between two of his clan mates and Sakura - from Hitomi of all people – infuriated him. In comparison to what Misaki and Kiku had said, to Sakura's face no less, Daichi and Arisu's words had been tame.

A harlot? A sharingan thief? These insults on their own were distasteful, but to hear that they had the gall to insult Sakura's destroyed village? All of her family, friends, and comrades who now laid dead after an unknown shinobi had _massacred_ them all? He felt sick with anger.

"This is only a reflection of what others of the clan must think," Izuna fumed from next to him on the engawa, a scowl marring his normally serene features.

They had been in the middle of an intense yet pleasant training session in the training field connected to their home when Hitomi had approached them to tell them what had happened. They now sat on the engawa, nearly shoulder to shoulder, as they considered what to do.

"Then there needs to be a punishment. To show them and the rest of the clan that such actions are unacceptable," Madara hissed in response, his mind already working on the ways to address this problem.

He couldn't imagine how Sakura was feeling at that moment. Any time that her old home had been brought up, even inadvertently, her sorrow had been more than evident. She had cried the day before her birthday as it had been the first one she had spent without her deceased loved ones. Misaki and Kiku's insults were the same as if they had walked up to him or his brother and taunted them about their deceased brothers and parents.

Such cruelty would not be tolerated.

"Are we going to integrate Misaki and Kiku into the war parties now? Their words were surely harsher than the elders'," Izuna responded with a sidelong stare.

"No. They know nothing of combat. To send them to the battlefield would either result in their deaths or the deaths of those who would attempt to protect them."

"And Daichi and Lady Arisu wouldn't suffer the same fate?"

"Together, they've spent more than a century on the battlefield. They may be advancing in age but they are still warriors of great skill and are still afforded that respect," he reminded, leveling his younger brother with a pointed look.

"Then what do we do?"

Madara paused for a long few moments, considering their options. He certainly couldn't integrate the sisters into the war parties. While he was furious with them, he couldn't sentence his own family members to death simply because they had insulted, albeit grievously, one of their comrades. However, the two of them, as well as the rest of the clan, needed to learn that such deplorable actions were unacceptable. That their insults against their medic, outsider or not, were not only atrocious, but that they brought shame onto their own family.

As he sat and considered what he needed to do to be both firm yet just, an idea occurred to him.

"We inform Noriko."

* * *

After an hour of gut wrenching sobs, Sakura finally ran out of tears. It had been nearly half a year since she last cried so harshly, spurred on by the tragedy that was the death of Yoshima's stillborn son, but the action brought no relief.

Instead of feeling lighter, she felt foggy and sick. Her head throbbed, her eyes burned, and her throat stung. She wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep and to ignore the rest of the world for the remainder of the day. Despite her discomfort and her lingering despair and humiliation, she simply threw back a tincture to treat her headache and washed her puffy face with cold water.

She was still the Uchiha's sole medic and, as such, she held herself to a high standard. To shut down her practice for the night simply because she was upset was unacceptable. She could still receive more patients that afternoon, ones whose injuries were more important that her hurt feelings.

Sakura was simply glad that no one had approached her during her breakdown. The last thing she had wanted was an audience as she vented her sorrows.

To keep herself busy and to distract herself from the dull sorrow that still lingered in her foggy mind, she began organizing her stock of medicines and taking note of which ones would soon require replenishing. Halfway through her work, she sensed a group people approaching her home and soon heard the sound of soft footsteps on her engawa.

Turning to face her new patients, she was surprised when three women entered her clinic. Her surprise quickly transformed into outrage as she recognized two of the women as being Misaki and Kiku, the two who had insulted her village.

Her rage quickly petered out into confusion when she noticed that the women, who kept their heads down and avoided her eyes, were bruised and bleeding. Misaki's cheek and left eye was swollen, a blotchy red bruise marring her pale skin, and Kiku's nose appeared to be broken, drying blood trailing down her chin and staining the front of her rumpled kimono.

Sakura's gaze shot to her third visitor, an older and notably irate looking woman who she had yet to meet. She wore an outfit which suggested she was a tailor - something which dramatically contrasted with the bleeding scrapes on his knuckles - and her midnight hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail which trailed down her back. When her sharp eyes confidently met Sakura's, the woman nodded curtly in greeting.

"Good afternoon," Sakura greeted tightly, confused by the appearance of the three Uchiha and the fact that this woman had obviously beaten Misaki and Kiku.

"Good afternoon, Lady Sakura. My name is Noriko, I'm the mother of these two detestable brats. I'm sorry we haven't first met on better terms," the elder woman greeted politely.

"It's, uh. Nice to meet you?" Sakura returned, mentally floundering over the proper way to greet someone in such a situation.

Misaki and Kiku's eyes drifted up from the floor to meet the elder woman's gaze after a moment of silence. Noriko returned their submissive stares with a harsh glare, her hands forming fists at her sides.

The two immediately broke eye contact and their gazes flicked to the floor. They appeared to struggle internally for a moment, their barely visible expressions betraying their distaste. Slowly, and in a way that almost appeared painful for them, they dropped to their knees and placed their foreheads on the floor.

"We apologize for our behavior earlier. What we said was cruel and unbecoming of us," Kiku apologized in a way that sounded scripted.

"We humbly offer our apologies although we do not expect your forgiveness," the other sister, Misaki, continued, her voice muffled by the tatami mats beneath her.

Sakura's mouth dropped open although words did not come. While the sister's apologies chipped at her anger, perhaps not as much as they would have had their words felt more genuine, their injured state left her feeling conflicted.

"I am deeply sorry for the behavior of my daughters. You have done so much for us during the time you've been here. You even saved the lives of my sons and these brats' brothers. I promise you that they will never think, let alone speak, ill of you again," Noriko apologized as well, bowing deeply at the waist in respect.

"Thank you for your apology..." the medic returned uncertainly, still thrown for a loop by the entire situation she found herself in. She never expected to receive an apology from the sisters, let alone that they would be punished by their own mother and brought to her.

"Come. We are to return home. You will learn the value of our medic by suffering with your wounds until they heal themselves. Perhaps you will be lucky and they won't scar," the elder woman hissed, folding her arms across her chest in agitation as she glared at her daughters.

Still shocked, the medic watched as Misaki and Kiku quickly stood, eager to rise from their submissive position. It wasn't until the group was near the fusuma leading outside of her clinic that she finally found her voice.

"Wait!"

Noriko paused and turned to regard Sakura with a confused expression. "Yes, Lady Sakura?"

"I appreciate the apology. I'm still…" Sakura huffed. "Incredibly upset but I can't let them leave here wounded. I'm your medic."

The mother's expression morphed into one of surprise, her eyebrows perching high on her forehead. "You would show such mercy to ones who disrespected you so?"

"I've already told them. If they speak to me like they did again, I won't be so kind," Sakura returned, shooting a look at the two equally surprised sisters, "But I'm still your medic. I can't let them leave my clinic injured."

Misaki and Kiku shared a baffled look as their mother's surprised expression warmed into a smile. The two sisters remained rooted in their spot next to the door and it took Noriko canting her head towards the medic for them to finally break their trance.

Sakura gestured towards the clean futons which dominated most of the space in her clinic, the two flabbergasted women sitting down silently. As she healed the blotchy red bruise on Misaki's face as well as her swollen eye and Kiku's obviously broken nose, the sisters stared at her with an expression that bordered on wonder. Sakura even healed the hand shaped bruises she had left on the women's shoulders, any sense of guilt she may have felt still being overpowered by her disdain for the two women.

The silence was tense and was only broken by Sakura giving short commands or asking if she had missed any injuries hidden beneath their kimonos. When she finally stood, finished with her treatment of the sisters, Noriko regarded her with a warm smile.

"You continue to surprise me, Lady Sakura… Sweet little Madara made a wonderful decision, bringing you to us," the mother commented with a warm smile, Sakura laughing at the elder woman's fond address for Madara.

"Thank you. I… I like being here. It almost feels like..." _Home._

Even though Sakura couldn't quite get the word out, Noriko understood her meaning. She placed a comforting hand on the her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze and a motherly smile. "I'm glad you think so, dear."

Noriko's expression quickly lost its warmth as she turned to regard her children. "Let's go."

The sisters rapidly stood, but instead of making the quick exit that they had been so set on earlier, they lingered. They glanced at one another again before turning to Sakura and bowing deeply at the waist.

"I apologize, Lady Sakura. What I said earlier was wrong and I should-I should have never thought it, let alone said it. I'm so very sorry. I'm sorry and thank you," Kiku, the woman who had insulted Sakura's village, apologized deeply, her words betraying her genuineness this time.

"I apologize to. I don't have an excuse for my words. I was simply wrong and cruel. I'm deeply sorry. And thank you, Lady Sakura, for healing me after my insults," Misaki added, her apology heartfelt.

This time, Sakura could feel her lingering anger begin to ebb away. While she would never consider these women friends, she at least now knew that their apologies were real and not forced.

"Just…" she started before huffing softly, "Don't do it again."

When the women perked up, they offered her weak, hesitant smiles. While Sakura didn't return them, instead waving the two off in dismissal, she felt more at peace following their confrontation.

After the three left, Sakura sighed deeply, feeling overwhelmed by the ups and downs of the day. While she was able to let her lingering anger fade into the background of her thoughts after their apologies, she was emotionally exhausted by the entire affair.

She shook her head before returning to her task of organizing her medical supplies and determining what needed to be restocked. While she worked, she briefly wondered if Madara and Izuna had something to do with Noriko's cruel punishment and Misaki and Kiku's forced apology but brushed off the thought.

She would deal with that problem when it came.

* * *

Izuna was well aware that Sakura was a compassionate woman - even if she had a propensity towards what she termed 'tough love' - but hearing that she had healed Misaki and Kiku after their punishment baffled both him and Madara. They hadn't known exactly what to expect from their hot tempered medic when she learned of Noriko's punishment but her healing the slanderous women had been near the bottom of the list.

While both brothers were aware that going to visit Sakura not even twenty-four hours after a day riddled with scandalous and salacious accusations from the clan elders and on the day that Misaki and Kiku's punishment had been meted out wasn't the best course of action, Izuna's curiosity outweighed his hesitance. While he was aware that his brother was curious as well, Izuna knew that it was Madara's stubbornness that outweighed his own hesitance. There was no way that rumors or propriety would keep him from their treasured friend and, it appeared, the object of his affections.

The corner of Izuna's lip quirked up in silent amusement at the thought. Who would have thought that his battle-focused brother would have ever found a woman to fall in love with. He was aware that his sibling was indeed intact but Izuna was surprised that Madara had pulled his head out of the battlefield long enough to even notice a woman.

He wondered if the only reason Madara had noticed Sakura was because the first time they had met her, she had been covered in blood and had just killed a man with her bare hands.

The younger Uchiha huffed in amusement, instantly realizing that that was certainly what had done the trick. Sakura had unwittingly appealed to his brother's rather dominant warrior side that day. Izuna could still remember the look in his brother's eyes as the kunoichi stood above her kill to face them in combat. He had been mesmerized.

"What?" Madara asked gruffly from beside him as they both strolled down the darkened road which lead towards Sakura's home, his eyes flicking away from the purple hued horizon to rest on his brother.

"Ah, nothing, really. Just thinking of the day we first met Sakura," Izuna replied with an incrementally widening smile and a teasing, sidelong look.

"Oh? And which part of that day do you remember being amusing?" he questioned with a quirked eyebrow as the lights from within the houses they passed played with the shadows on his face.

"Just the part where you stared at her in wonder for a full minute," the younger brother laughed, his grin widening.

"I did not _stare_!" he hissed in response, reminding Izuna of a much younger Madara.

Izuna didn't miss the embarrassed blush on his cheeks that the growing darkness couldn't quite conceal. Madara glanced off to the side momentarily before his glare shot to in front of them, focusing on nothing in particular.

"I was simply studying her chakra and coming up with a plan of action should she have attacked," Madara continued, lying through his teeth.

"Mhmm. Studying her chakra. Of course. You were just being especially thorough, yes? Taking a minute to do what takes us about a tenth of a second to do with our sharingan?"

"It was not a full minute."

"I had enough time to map out the entire battlefield, the positions of all the dead Senju, and the positions of the injured guards in the time it took you to stare at her."

"Oh, so I stared at her for two seconds then? What a tragedy."

"And he admits it!"

"I admit nothing, you wretch!"

"You certainly admitting that you cuddled with her last night," Izuna teased under his breath, leaning in close, not daring to speak the words any louder than a whisper with the rumors as of late.

Already knowing what was coming, Izuna sidestepped the swat aimed at the back of his head.

"My promise from this morning still stands, in case you've forgotten!" the wild haired Uchiha growled under his breath, lunging forward to make another grab at Izuna.

The younger Uchiha chuckled in amusement, skirting out of his brother's immediate reach as they approached Sakura's home.

"Ah ah ah, we don't want to drag Sakura into this, do we? I bet she'll have some choice words to share."

"Just wait until we get home, brother, she won't be able to help you then."

The siblings invited themselves into Sakura's warm home with calls of "sorry to intrude". As they slipped off their shoes, and as Izuna parried a few halfhearted flicks and swats from Madara that hinted at the late night spar that was waiting for him later, they heard Sakura greet them from her living room.

Passing through her clinic and the massive painting of two tigers which still remained from the previous owner, they entered her living room. The brothers found Sakura sitting at the edge of her hearth, tending to a pot hanging above her gently burning fireplace. On her table sat a loosely organized pile of unfurled scrolls, one filled with her own handwriting.

She greeted them both with a smile, her cheeks reddening briefly when her suddenly shy gaze met Madara's, before returning her attention back to the pot.

"Good evening," Madara greeted in a stilted tone, trying to force a conversation despite the awkwardness that hung between the two.

"Hey…" Sakura replied feebly, noticeably looking anywhere but Madara's face.

Izuna's eyes flicked between the two as he restrained an amused grin, internally laughing at his two closest companions and their painful interaction.

"You appear to be in high spirits," the younger Uchiha commented after a moment of silence, hoping to become the buffer that would allow normal conversation to take root.

"Better than earlier, certainly," Sakura muttered with a sigh, her attention returning to her slowly cooking meal. She gestured towards it with her spoon before looking back to the brothers. "Want some? I'm trying something new."

Both Madara and Izuna nodded, relaxing as they took their usual seats at Sakura's table. Izuna's eyes drifted down to the scrolls laid out on the tabletop as he considered his next words.

Deciding the rip out the kunai instead of dragging out the discomfort, Izuna dived right in. "We heard of what happened earlier."

"Oh, which part?" she replied, her aggravated expression becoming harder as she glared at the two Uchiha, "The part where two women insulted my village or the part where their mother beat them and brought them to me to apologize? Was that your doing?"

Both brothers winced at Sakura's tone.

"Not exactly. While we did place their punishment in her hands, we gave no explicit directions. She is very fond of you after you saved the lives of her sons, so she may have wanted to leave an… impression," Madara answered easily, meeting Sakura's glare despite the tension that hung in the air between them. Although his tone was even, Izuna could tell that his brother hoped to dispel any ill feelings that Sakura might harbor towards them.

As Sakura's expression softened at his explanation, Izuna commented, "We did hear that you healed Misaki and Kiku though. I'm impressed that you bothered to heal them at all after what they said to you."

Sakura sighed deeply, toying with her spoon as she considered her words. "I may… _dislike_ them very much now, but I take my job working for your family very seriously. I couldn't bring myself to withhold treatment just because I don't like them."

"That's commendable," Madara commented, his eyes having not left her since the beginning of their conversation.

"No, that's just being a good medic," she retorted with a pointed look, her words brokering no argument.

Izuna nodded thoughtfully at her words, noting the Sakura truly did hold herself to a higher standard. His gaze drifted to his brother, noticing the expression on his face. He was watching Sakura like he watched a person perform a jutsu he had yet to learn. Like he was absorbing every little detail and committing it to memory.

"A privilege we have yet to acclimate to, it appears," Madara complemented slyly, drawing a surprised glance from Sakura which was quickly followed by a demure blush.

Izuna's eyes flicked back to his sibling, impressed. For a man who knew a thousand ways to pull the head from someone's shoulders and about two ways to deliver a compliment, that had been incredibly smooth.

At least he had thought until the two avoided each others' gazes again and the awkward silence returned.

Taking it upon himself to restart normal conversation yet again, Izuna spoke, "So, I recall you saying something about teaching us how to use that jutsu you used to sober up quicker. Could you teach us?"

"Well, I could, but we'd have to get drunk again for that," Sakura's shoulders sagged as she gazed into the pot, "And after everything that's happened, I'm not really up for it. But, I _could_ show you how to use a technique for healing minor cuts though. If you're interested."

Both Izuna and Madara frowned at Sakura's unspoken comments: She had been badly hurt by the outcome of their actions. She had been reminded of everyone she had lost in the worst possible way. She didn't want to let her guard down like she had again, lest she be humiliated again.

"There is no need to feel shame over what's happened. It was our fault, placing you in that predicament, and we apologize for the insults you've dealt with," Madara asserted, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Don't put this on yourselves. It's not your fault," Sakura argued weakly.

"No, it is. You aren't from this area and you aren't familiar with the customs here, let alone with our family. You had no idea that us staying the night was taboo. If you had, I'm certain you wouldn't have let us stay. We were drunk and didn't care and our mistakes lead to your undue suffering," Izuna added, wanting to apologize as well.

"Really, don't worry about it. We'll just think of it as a…" Sakura paused. "Learning experience."

Both brothers nodded before Madara continued firmly, "Still. We will not allow anyone to speak of you so harshly again. You've saved the lives of dozens of our family members and you deserve the respect you've earned."

"Well, thank you. Although… Far be it from me to tell you how to lead your clan, but if you guys could cut down on my work load next time, that would be nice."

The edge of Madara's lip quirked up in response. "We'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The silence that followed this time was far more comfortable than the last. Sakura stirred the decidedly odd-smelling meal, fueling Izuna's growing curiosity as to what she was preparing, as Madara investigated one of the scrolls spread out on Sakura's table.

Upon noticing Madara's eyebrows quirk up in an impressed and satisfied expression, Izuna tilted his head to read the case of the scroll. He smirked when he noticed that the scroll Sakura had been reading detailed the known history of the chain of islands to the east, the current home of the Uzumaki clan. He briefly wondered if she was actively going out of her way to appeal to his brother's passions, one being a fascination with history, or if their interests just happened to align so perfectly.

Breaking both the brothers from their ruminations, Sakura spoke. "You know, all of this happened because we were celebrating my birthday but I don't even know when yours are. When should I look out for them?"

"December twenty-fourth," Madara answered automatically, placing the scroll back onto the table to give her his undivided attention.

"February tenth," Izuna added, glancing over at the pot hanging above the hearth and wondering what food was putting off that unusual smell.

"I missed both of them?!" Sakura bemoaned, pouting, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They weren't important at the time. Our clan celebrates birthdays differently that most. Since there are so many of us, we only celebrate birthdays with the closest members of our family. We celebrated yours since you're closest to us," the elder Uchiha explained.

"But… I feel terrible that I missed both of yours since you both celebrated mine. What was even happening on your birthdays?"

"You saved the lives of three of my clan mates. I say that's a fine gift," Madara replied, a secretive smile quirking up the corner of his lips.

"I did? Was that the day...?" Sakura started, a dusting of red appearing on her cheeks as she cut herself off, "Right."

Izuna smirked, knowing what else had taken place that day due to him interrogating his brother when he had come home so late that night. That was the day that Sakura had covered him with a blanket after healing his inconsequential wounds when he had fallen asleep watching over their injured clan mates.

"My birthday was the day you healed my broken wrist and you told me of your old teammate who looked like me," Izuna commented, his smile warming into something more friendly and less teasing.

"Ah. Not such a great present then, huh? Sorry," Sakura apologized with a wince and a smile.

"The healed wrist was certainly appreciated. And learning a bit of your mysterious past was nice as well," he replied, instantly regretting his words.

"Mysterious, huh?" she laughed, her smile degrading from something warm to something that looked forced.

"Yes, mysterious," he reiterated, already thinking of how this line of conversation could quickly derail. The last thing he wanted was to ruin her day even farther by carelessly reminding her of her now gone village once again.

Changing the topic quickly, and perhaps not as gracefully as he could have, he suggested, "We should play that drinking game again one of these days though, _without_ you using that jutsu, so we can see who would really win."

Sakura's smile immediately brightened as she laughed, "You're just upset you came in last."

"I wouldn't have, if you weren't using that jutsu," Izuna asserted, breathing a mental sigh of relief.

"I'm still certain we'll both beat you once again, even if she refrains from using her jutsu," Madara teased with a grin, drawing a betrayed expression from Izuna.

"Whose side are you even on?" he complained, mock offended, as a giggling Sakura gathered up extra bowls and utensils and began preparing bowls of the finished meal.

"The winning side, apparently. Well, second place, if I'm honest. I'll certainly claim first next time."

"Oh, and you're so confident you'll beat her then? What of me?"

"I'm not the one who passed out at the table, now am I?"

Izuna's retort was cut off by Sakura placing a steaming bowl in front of him. She placed another bowl in front of his brother as well before settling down at the table with her own meal.

"Thank you for the meal," both Uchiha thanked politely before looking down into their bowls.

"What is this?" Izuna questioned, eyeing the hunks of meat floating in the noodles. It nearly looked like ramen just not any kind he had seen before.

"I was feeling nostalgic so I tried my hand at tonkatsu ramen. I'm not sure how it came out though… it looks different than when I ate it last…" Sakura explained, tilting her head as she eyed her own bowl, "Well, dig in! I want to see how I did!"

Both brothers nodded before gathering up a bite of their meals with their chopsticks.

The moment Izuna took his bite, his teeth sunk into a hunk of gristle. Barely withholding his gag, but unable to keep in the bite of bizarrely flavored food in his mouth, he, as gracefully as one could when spitting out a mouthful of food, returned the bite to his bowl.

Madara, unwilling to so drastically offend the cook, valiantly choked down his bite, despite the suspicious crunching noise that had a visible shiver running down his spine. Despite all his efforts, he was unable to keep his face from contorting in agony.

"Oh, come on! It can't be that bad!" Sakura immediately berated, glaring at both of the brothers before angrily taking a large bite from her own bowl.

Only for her face to immediately betrayed her disgust and regret at having taken such a large bite. Despite a sound that sounded frighteningly close to chewing on sand and despite the tears building in her eyes, she forced down her mouthful.

"See… it's…" Sakura started before pausing to hold back a gag, "Delicious…"

Both Uchiha stared at her in horror as she scooped up another mouthful of her concoction to prove it, hoping to the gods that she wasn't going to force them to eat whatever it was she had placed in front of them.

They watched as she eyed the hunk of meat and strings of noodles on her chopsticks with watery eyes, her hands shaking as if her body was trying to prevent her from eating the bite out of self preservation. She struggled for a handful of tense heartbeats before she returned the bite to her bowl, her arm dropping as if releasing some great weight.

"Gods, I can't do it. It-it's _so_ bad… Where did I go wrong?" Sakura lamented, staring into her bowl in dismay as if just looking would explain how she accomplished such a travesty.

Both brothers silently breathed a sigh of relief, slowly placing their chopsticks along the rim of their bowls and pushing their nearly untouched meals forward.

* * *

 _A/N: Arisu and Daichi are the overly traditional and slanderous clan elders. Their names mean "noble sort" and "great land" or "great wisdom" respectively. The two sisters are named Misaki, meaning "beauty bloom", and Kiku, meaning "chrysanthemum". The sister's mother's name, Noriko, means "law child" or "exemplar child" because she was the one to punish the sisters._


	20. Lessons

_A/N: A gentle reminder: this is a slow burn romance that is going to span about eighty chapters and is going to encompass both Sakura and Madara's entire lives! As such, there's a lot of gradual build as the world (past and future) and the people in it change and grow and as the stage is set for later events._

 _Rakugan are essentially cookies that come in many different shapes and colors (pink ones shaped like cherry blossoms, white ones shaped like rabbits, green ones shaped like leaves, etc). They are made by taking specialty sugar, flour, and other ingredients and pressing them into molds. A yokai is a supernatural spirit, demon, or monster._ _Jinbei are essentially a loose pair of pants and shirt that are used as pajamas. They are traditionally worn by men although more and more women wear them nowadays._

* * *

Despite having gathered another piece of the puzzle that was Sakura, that she was capable of committing war crimes in the kitchen, Madara remained curious as to her skill as a teacher.

While he could easily admit that her capability as a healer far outweighed his own skills as a warrior, he wondered how she would go about passing that knowledge onto a student. Since she had offered to teach them a medical jutsu, him and Izuna decided to investigate a few days after what they had jokingly (and secretly, far, far out of earshot of Sakura) dubbed the Ramen Incident.

Madara considered the implications of learning such a jutsu. Him and Izuna would be the first of their family to learn a medical jutsu. Their clan was well known for their battle prowess, their plethora of advanced jutsu, and their sharingan… but not their innovative medical techniques.

Despite the Uchiha's infamous habits of taking whatever jutsu they wanted with their sharingan, they had yet to garner a healing jutsu. Although no Uchiha had yet to have the opportunity to take one yet either. Hashirama was the first person that Madara had ever witnessed using a jutsu that healed - even if his technique only ever extended to himself - and the Senju never used hand signs, leaving the Uchiha unable to copy it. When Sakura had begun her service, he had watched her with his sharingan as she healed in an attempt to copy her technique however, just as Hashirama, she weaved no hand signs for him to copy.

So the Uchiha clan remained unable to utilize medical ninjutsu although Sakura's presence was just as good. The brothers hadn't been exaggerating when they told the clan elders that Sakura was a valued asset. She was the only healer among them and astoundingly skilled with her craft as well. Her presence alone had cut down their yearly death toll by a substantial percentage. That would have been a considerable enough difference to have turned the tides of war in their favor had they not been struggling that past year with the death toll they had suffered following the battle at Biei.

Madara had thought that Hashirama had developed his restorative technique on his own but Sakura's sudden appearance had negated that thought. Perhaps the Senju clan leader had met a survivor from Sakura's old village as well and had learned some form of Sakura's more advanced technique from them as Madara soon would from Sakura?

He could only imagine Hashirama's dumbfounded face when he used this medical ninjutsu to heal himself!

All theories and amusing thoughts aside, both brothers were determined to become the first Uchiha to learn medical ninjutsu, something which had turned into a competition for them as challenges such as these often did. Madara would thoroughly enjoy learning this jutsu and trouncing his younger brother in their competition.

The fact that he had another excuse to be with Sakura was… inconsequential.

Sakura, once she had gotten passed her surprise at suddenly gaining the two Uchiha clan heads as students and her amusement as they taunted one another over who would be the first to master the healing jutsu, had confused both him and his brother by leading them to the river on the outskirts of the village.

Where they now stood, baffled as to why she had taken them here.

The spring day was clear, not a single cloud in the sky, and a cool breeze blew through the forest. The sun was a welcome presence, warming his dark clothes and the skin beneath. The river was clear and untarnished, the waters nearly transparent if not for the current. He caught sight of a few neutral colored fish darting beneath the flowing waters, unaware of the people standing on the shore, and he spotted two fisherwomen perched on the bank of the river farther upstream, watching his group curiously as they kept an eye on their traps and fishing lines.

"I still don't understand how this pertains to healing ninjutsu…" Izuna commented, speaking what was on both of the brothers' minds.

"You don't learn healing ninjutsu the same way you learn other ninjutsu," Sakura explained as she hiked up the skirts of her yukata, securing them so they sat high on her thighs, "I mean, neither of you have picked up how to use it by watching me heal with your sharingan, have you?"

"Well, we…" Madara started as both him and Izuna scratched at the back of their heads, embarrassed at having been caught trying to steal her jutsu, "No."

She turned to smirk at them slyly, knowing that she had caught them, before slipping off her geta and wading into the flowing waters of the river.

"Well that's because to use healing jutsu, you don't mold your chakra with hand signs like other ninjutsu. You heal by manipulating the cells of your patient by precisely controlling your chakra output," she explained as she came to a stop as far into the river as she could get without getting her skirts wet. Her calculating gaze swept across the riverbed as she stilled completely.

"That's incredible," the younger Uchiha complimented, drawing a smile from Sakura.

"It's not as complicated as it sounds, it's just difficult. It's very similar to walking on water or dispelling a genjutsu," she brushed off.

"And how do you learn to do that?"

"By using… these!" Sakura answered as she plunged her hand into the waters and tossed a fish onto the shore with lightning speed.

Both Madara and Izuna stared down at the carp flopping around uselessly on the shore, incredulous, before their gazes returned to Sakura. She laughed at their identical looks of skepticism, both of their eyebrows quirked in disbelief. Turning her attention back to the waters, she quickly pulled another fish from the river and tossing it onto the shore.

"I'm more than curious as to how," Madara stated blandly as his gaze fell to the two fishes on the shore.

"Withhold your excitement," she deadpanned in return as she strode back out of the water. She untied her skirts, allowing them to fall back down to her ankles, as she stepped back into her sandals.

Brushing out the wrinkles, she perked up before stating, "Well, grab a fish, we're heading back."

Without another word, Sakura strode back off towards the Uchiha village, leaving the brothers behind with the two now motionless fish and their own surprise at their sudden burden.

Madara heard the sound of giggles from the two fisherwoman upstream, the two women hiding their smiles behind their hands as they watched their two clan heads take orders from their medic. Both him and Izuna shot them glares, the two women's gazes shooting away, as if pretending as if they hadn't seen anything. Barely restrained amusement lingered in their expressions as they watched the clan heads from the corners of their eyes.

Madara huffed as he reached down and hooked a finger through the mouth of one of the fish, lifting the creature up so he could carry it. Izuna mimicked his elder brother, sighing in displeasure. When he lifted the fish to carry it, however, the fish sprung back into action as if having been lying in wait. As the young Uchiha wrestled with the now violently thrashing carp, the fish's tail slapped into his cheek with a velocity that drug a surprised, indignant noise from him.

Madara, and the two fisherwoman, burst out laughing as Izuna finally gained control of the fish, a deep scowl now plastered on his face.

* * *

When the brothers finally regrouped with Sakura at her home, the medic having not even bothered to wait for them, they found her as they often did: hunched over a set of scrolls at her table.

"Ah, good, just in time," Sakura commented as they walked in, cutting off any complaints they may have had about being forced to cart back fish.

Sakura finished the last few strokes on what appeared to be a fairly complex seal, inked onto the blank scroll before her. The seal was identical to the one decorating the scroll already sitting before Izuna's normal seat at the medic's table.

"Take a seat and place your fish on the center of these seals. They'll help you mold your chakra in the beginning so you can feel how it's supposed to be done," she explained simply, fanning her hand across the newly finished seal.

"Very well. What is the next step?" Izuna asked as both brothers took their customary seats around Sakura's table, draping their fishes across the finished seals.

"Only one last step: Bring that fish back to life," Sakura returned vaguely.

Both Uchiha's gazes shot to her like a second head had sprouted from her shoulder.

"And how are we to do that, exactly?" Madara questioned, his expression pinched in confusion.

"You need to press your chakra into the fish and modulate it until you feel the fish start to come back. The seal will be a lot of help as you start, it can help direct your chakra in the way you need. You're going to want to focus on restarting the activity your fish's nervous system. You'll notice it begin to regain its color or begin to move as you get closer to figuring it out," Sakura explained as she took a seat on one of the cushions surrounding her table.

At that, the medic unfurled one of the closed scrolls remaining on the table and began to get comfortable as she prepared to delve into her research. She remained oblivious to, or purposefully ignored, Madara and Izuna's eyes lingering on her.

"Sakura…"

Her eyes flicked up to meet Madara's stare over her scroll. "Hmm?"

"Is that all?"

"Listen, there's nothing else I can say to help you understand. You just need to attempt it on your own. You either succeed or you don't… That's what I meant by you need to have an aptitude for it," Sakura explained, appearing as if she were genuinely apologetic for being unable to help them further.

Madara briefly wondered how she had been able to become such an accomplished healer with such a strange form of instruction when his eyes locked with Izuna's. He instantly recognized the look of challenge in his little brother's gaze and returned the competitive look with a glare.

Not only would he be the first Uchiha to learn this healing ninjutsu but he would do so in a fraction of the time that it took Izuna. Detailed instruction or not.

Both Uchiha molded chakra into their hands and began to press it into the dead fish before them, beginning the race to be the first Uchiha to learn medical ninjutsu.

* * *

Madara could still remember learning how to walk on water. Him and Izuna had both been four at the time, Madara nearly five and Izuna having just had a birthday. They had been watching as their father sparred with one of their aunts and both young Uchiha had been blown away when their father had landed on the surface of the river instead of falling in. Him and his brother had loudly demanded that their father teach them how to walk on water and, exhausted from an intensive training session with their aunt, he had promised to do so the next morning.

The next day, however, he had been called upon by the clan leader at the time, along with a couple dozen other warriors, to go to battle against the Senju. Faced with the disappointed faces of his eldest sons, he had given a brief explanation on how to use chakra to walk on water and had challenged them to teach themselves. Madara and Izuna, having always risen to any challenge placed before them, had perked up immediately and had drawn a rare smile from their gruff father.

Him and his brother had spent the entire day out on the river bordering their village, teaching themselves how to walk on water. They had fallen into the freezing waters more times than he could count but, shortly after the sun rose until it was perched high in the sky, him and his brother had finally succeeded.

The memory of lying down on the shore of the river with his younger brother, basking in the warmth of the sun as it dried their soaking wet clothes, was one of the happiest he had. The feeling of victory, of brotherhood, and of knowing their efforts would impress their stoic father made for a feeling of absolute contentment.

Madara had been able to forget that their world was nothing but war and death. He had been able to forget that he would see the battlefield himself within the year when the armor would finally fit his small body. He had been able to forget that him and his brother were nothing but fodder in a never ending war. Even if just for a little while.

He wondered if that feeling was what Sakura had meant by 'being kids'.

Madara also wondered how she had managed to learn to heal from her mentor because, while she had compared medical ninjutsu to walking on water, healing jutsu was infinitely more difficult. Learning this damned jutsu was one of the hardest challenges he had ever attempted and easily the most aggravating. Nothing at all like learning to walk on water.

It had been hours. _Hours_ spent hunched over Sakura's table, draining his chakra into a dead fish, as she calmly read scrolls beside them. Hours in which they made absolutely no headway whatsoever.

Madara had been so focused on his unproductive task that he hardly noticed her disappear for a short time only to return with a wicker basket and a handful of herbs from her garden. The sound of her mortar and pestle as she ground down the herbs and the sounds of glass clinking together as she began to work on her elixirs became a calming backdrop to the infuriating task before him.

She didn't even bother giving them any more tips. Her explanation on how to use healing jutsu was even less helpful than his father's rushed explanation on how to walk on water all those years ago.

You either succeeded or you didn't, hm? Well, he certainly would succeed. It was impossible that he did not have the aptitude for any kind of jutsu. He would master this simple yet confounding technique, he would master whatever skill she set forth to learn next, and he would master healing juts-

Izuna's fish flopped on the table across from Madara, it's tail coming up and slapping back down on the table once.

Momentarily stunned, both Uchiha stared down at Izuna's fish in baffled silence. Madara blinked at the creature owlishly, his chakra output ceasing entirely as his muddled mind returned to the world outside of his task.

The brothers made eye contact, both sharing a shocked look, before Izuna's expression rapidly became smug. _He_ had been the first to affect his fish.

Madara glared at his brother in turn before his focus returned to the fish. He would not be outdone.

Determined to take the lead in this competition, Madara flooded a fresh burst of chakra into the fish underneath his hands. Confusion flooded him as the sound of sizzling met his ears and as the smell of burnt meat reached his nose. He moved his hands, ceasing his chakra output, and stared down at the blackened scorch mark on the side of his fish with dismay.

Izuna barked out a laugh at the sight of Madara's burnt fish, earning a furious glare from the elder Uchiha. With Izuna's attention on his brother and not his fish, his flow of chakra altered, the sudden change in chakra flow causing the scroll beneath his fish to burst into shreds of paper. Madara cackled in amusement at Izuna's alarmed yelp, thinking that it served him right.

Sakura turned away from her potions, curious by the sudden activity. Noticing the scorch mark on the side of Madara's fish and the bits of paper that once made up Izuna's scroll, she shook her head in amusement. She reached into the wicker basket she had brought in with her, withdrawing a new fish, before moving forward to replace Madara's burnt fish with a new one.

Her gentle movements calmed Madara's amusement and ire, drawing in his attention like a moth to the flame.

"Too much chakra, Fire Nature. You want to be more steady and precise," Sakura teased with a warm smile.

Heat built in his face before he cleared his throat, "Of course."

"And Izuna. If you were any more forceful, your fish would have blown apart instead of your scroll and I wouldn't appreciate having to clean that up," she chided lightly as she unfurled one of the scrolls she had been working with earlier, revealing a fresh seal for Izuna to use.

"I see you planned ahead," Izuna grumbled in return, politely gathering the scattered bits of his previous scroll into a small pile before placing his fish atop the new seal.

"Don't worry, it was inevitable," Sakura laughed in return before carting Madara's burnt fish into the kitchen, leaving the brothers to their own devices once again.

Madara sighed in exasperation before stretching his arms over his head, loosening up for the first time in hours. Both him and Izuna continued with their task, their amusement and frustration forgotten under the intensity of their renewed focus. It was only a short time after they began that Madara noticed the fin of his new fish flex under his ministrations. He watched as the fish regained some of its color before returning entirely to it's lifeless state once again. He tried to pinpoint the sensation, trying to emulate exactly how he had modulated his chakra in an attempt at furthering his progress, but found himself struggling to recreate it.

His attention was slowly disturbed by the smell of food. Sluggishly emerging from his near meditative state, he looked up just in time to see Sakura place bowls of rice, topped with fried fish, in front of both him and Izuna. He had been so immersed in his task that he hadn't even noticed her sitting at the hearth, cooking this meal for them.

Madara pressed his lips together in exasperation as he realized that she had cooked the fish he had burned but couldn't help but respect her lack of waste.

When Sakura returned with her own dinner and got comfortable at the table, she spoke. "I can guarantee you're not going to get it on the first day. It took me eight days to finally bring my first fish back with the use of a seal."

"Eight days!?" Izuna bemoaned in return, leveling his fish with a distressed look.

"That is…not particularly encouraging," Madara sighed, carefully moving his fish to make room for his meal in front of him

He hadn't expected just the first step to learning healing jutsu to be so arduous. While he hadn't pushed himself into a state of exhaustion, he was notably drained from having dumped his chakra into his fish for the entire afternoon. He found himself concerned that it took even Sakura over a week to learn the first step. She was a medical genius and her chakra control was flawless. If it had taken her such an extended period of time, how long would it take him and Izuna to learn this first step?

"Sorry," Sakura returned with a sympathetic look, "If it's any consolation, I think you both did very well today."

"Thank you, Sakura. And thank you for the meal," Madara returned politely, mentally reaffirming his dedication to learning this technique no matter its difficulty.

"Yes, thank you for dinner," Izuna added before shooting his brother a teasing look, "It's very resourceful of you."

Madara leveled Izuna with a flat stare before they both hesitantly took a bite from their meals.

Much, much better than the Ramen Incident.

* * *

The same taxing, infuriating process continued for fifteen days, only briefly interrupted by a skirmish with a minor clan, daily training, and missions.

Madara and Izuna did nothing but eat, sleep, fight, and waste their precious chakra on ungrateful river life. It was both their stubbornness and their pride that refused to allow them to abandon their arduous task.

It was on the morning of the fifteenth day, after Madara had eaten his breakfast and readied himself for the day, that he had an epiphany. Rushing to his fish, he tested his theory, and cried out in victory when the fish slowly sprung back to life, flopping off of his desk and only the floor of his study.

Scooping up the thrashing fish like a hard earned trophy, he rushed to the opposite end of the house to gloat at Izuna. His brother, having just emerged from the bathroom and still dressed in his sleeping clothes, feigned indifference, but Madara knew better. He relished in the fact that his brother was seething in jealousy on the inside and knew that once he left, Izuna would be back to training with the fish without even bothering to change out of his jinbei.

"Go strut around for your love and get out of my side of the house," Izuna huffed as he turned his back to his brother in dismissal and strode down the hallway, the only thing betraying his envy being the hard line of his shoulders.

Madara, still basking in the glee from taunting his little brother despite Izuna's own teasing, decided that a visit with Sakura to learn the next step of the jutsu was in order. After making a brief stop into his study to collect the scroll with the seal that Sakura had given him and slipping on his shoes, he made his way to their medic's home.

It was only after he had already knocked on the closed fusuma leading into her home that he realized how ridiculous his situation was, carrying a dead fish over to their medic's home at the crack of dawn to show off his progress. He nearly slapped himself for his carelessness, hoping that she was already awake and that he wasn't disturbing her.

Infinitely grateful when he heard Sakura's voice beckon him inside, he entered her home, slipping off his shoes as he went.

When he came upon her, Sakura was seated at her table, still dressed in her own sleeping clothes. The nemaki she wore was only loosely tied around her middle, the sleeping yukata hanging off of her form, and her hair was still tangled from slumber, her sleep rumpled appearance endearing. She sipped at a cup of steaming tea as she greeted him with a warm smile, blinking sleepily, apparently having just pulled herself from bed.

"Good morning," he greeted awkwardly, feeling as if he was intruding on an intimate moment of her life, barging into her warm, cozy home so early in the morning.

He felt the need to apologize even as he felt the want to be a part of the moment.

"Good morning," she returned sweetly, her gaze dipping down to the fish and the scroll held in his hands, "To what do I owe the early morning visit?"

"I've completed the first step," he replied proudly.

"You did it?" she asked with a pleased expression.

He answered her by instead laying out his supplies so he could prove it to her. When his hands glowed green as hers did as she healed and as his fish sprung to life for the second time in it's lifespan, an excited smile lit up her face.

"Great job! You only took a week longer than I did!" Sakura complimented.

Even though he had taken a week longer than her, Madara still preened under her compliments. She was a medical genius after all. Of course she would have learned the technique in such little time.

His internal gloating died the moment she planted a chakra scalpel into his fish, killing it. His expression dropped as he felt a strange sense of loss. He had brought that fish back from the dead after all. Twice. He had been planning on releasing it back into the river as thanks for letting him play with it's life for the past couple of days and here she was, handing him his once again lifeless fish, a lethal gash carved into its side.

"Okay, now use that same technique you just figured out to mend this cut. Use the same scroll I gave you. It'll help at first," Sakura explained as Madara took his dead fish from her, nodding numbly.

"Very well," he muttered in response, his eyes narrowing in challenge once again before he strode off with purpose, intent on bringing back his fish once again.

Next time, perhaps he would release it into the river before Sakura killed in again...

* * *

Madara was infinitely grateful that this next task was easier than the first. With the help of the scroll, and with the understanding of how he had to modulate his chakra, healing the gash on his fish had taken less than a week. Almost exactly the same amount of time it took Izuna to master the first step. The young clan head had even refused to train with his elder brother the day following Madara's first success as he sat hunched over his fish, still dressed in his sleeping clothes like Madara had predicted.

The evening that he had succeeded in the second step, however, his younger brother had burst into Madara's bathroom, while he was in the middle of a shower no less, drawing a startled expletive from the elder Uchiha. He whipped around in his seat in the sunken shower to stare at his intruder with an exasperated glare, loudly dropping the ladle he had just filled with water back into the bucket next to his feet.

"It appears that we are evenly matched once again, brother. I'm shocked that it took me so much additional time to complete this step considering the answer was so simple! But now, with us on even ground, it will only be a short time before I take the lead in our little competition," he gloated, toting his fish like a medal, "You should watch yourself, you never know how easily I will discover the solution to the second step of this healing jutsu."

Madara simply perched his elbow on his knee and settled his chin in his palm, his soaking wet hair plastered flat against his head and shoulders, and stared at his brother with a grin stretched across his lips. He didn't say a word, simply smirking at Izuna, his amusement growing as his younger brother's face slowly fell.

"You figured it out, didn't you," Izuna stated in a dead tone, deflating.

Instead of answering, he simply returned his shower, picking up the ladle and resuming rinsing the soap out of his ebony hair. His brother left without another word, passive aggressively leaving the door open and allowing the warmth to escape the room.

Madara had figured that he would wait until the next morning to tell Sakura the good news considering that it was already nearing nightfall. When he emerged from his shower however, his impossible to dry hair still dripping droplets of water, he spotted Izuna down the hallway already pulling on his shoes. Despite knowing that his brother was only making this late night visit in an attempt to get ahead of him in their competition, he decided he would join him.

Making a brief stop into his study to collect his own fish, he deigned to not bother with the coat and sash he normally wore or the bandages he would wrap around his shins. Instead, he chose to simply slip on his shoes on his way out and easily caught up with Izuna who was already halfway to their medic's house. He received a sideways stare and silence in greeting before his little brother turned his eyes forward again and quickened his pace.

When they reached Sakura's home and knocked on her closed fusuma, Sakura's muffled voice beckoned them inside. As the Uchiha entered, they came across her surrounded by her books and scrolls and eating a rakugan pressed into the shape of a cherry blossom from her box of sweets - sugary gifts from their ever appreciative cook Hitomi.

"I haven't seen you in days, Izuna. How goes the competition?" Sakura commented with a smile, her eyes flicking down to the fishes in their hands, "I'm a bit surprised both of you came together."

"Ignore him," Izuna grumbled as he sat at her table, laying out both his scroll and his fish, "I apologize for my recent absence although I do come with good news: I've succeeded in the first step."

"Oh, that is good news! I will say that you can always practice while you visit with me though. You don't have to hide away until you have good news," she scolded gently.

"I'll take you up on your offer then. Anything to avoid this one's gloating."

Madara snorted in amusement at the comment from the man who had burst into his bathroom not even ten minutes previous to gloat. Instead of joining them at the table, he deigned to remain standing, choosing to not dirty Sakura's eating space with his own fish. He watched as Izuna worked to bring back his carp, proving to Sakura that he had mastered the first step of their training.

"Great job, Izuna! You both took to this much faster than I had expected," Sakura complimented kindly, drawing a self satisfied smirk from the younger Uchiha.

Madara chose to remain silent about what would happen next and nearly laughed aloud at Izuna's dumbfounded expression what Sakura killed his fish with a chakra scalpel. Perhaps if Izuna hadn't barged into his bathroom while he was taking a shower like some kind of madman, Madara would have warned him that Sakura was going to dispatch his medical assistant.

"For the next step, I want you to use the scroll and that same technique to heal this cut," she explained as Izuna stared down at his once again deceased fish.

"Perhaps a little warning next time?" he complained in response, shooting a betrayed look to the medic.

"Oh, ah… Heh, sorry," Sakura replied, rubbing the back of her head as Izuna stood, gathering his fish and his scroll.

"Have a nice evening, Sakura. I'll return tomorrow," he stated, his hidden challenge to Madara apparent when he shot a look at the elder Uchiha in passing.

Madara simply quirked an amused eyebrow at him in response as he passed. He suspected his brother would be up all night playing catch up and trying to pull ahead in their little competition.

"Did you already figure out the second part?" Sakura asked as she rose to her feet, breaking him from his ruminations.

"I did," Madara answered with a pleased expression, stepping forward and holding up his fish so she could see the healed gash along its side.

"Excellent job! I'm impressed you figured it out so quickly. You really have a knack for this," she complimented sincerely, satisfaction rushing through him as she pet his ego.

He cleared his throat. "Honestly, this is one of the hardest things I've ever learned. I appreciate you teaching me. It's an incredibly helpful skill to have for the battlefield."

Sakura's gaze met his and, even with his deteriorated vision, he could make out the conflict in her eyes. Before he could comment on her distress, however, she drew a retrospectively embarrassing noise from him by once again slicing a gash in his fish with a chakra blade. She laughed at his expense, receiving a flat glower from him in response.

"Sorry," she giggled unapologetically, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"Perhaps next time you can let me release this poor fish instead of killing him. He's died and come back to life more times than is healthy for his sanity," Madara grumbled, giving his poor assistant a piteous look.

Sakura just laughed harder. "I never thought I'd see the day where you worried about the mental health of a carp."

"I nearly feel bad for everything I've put him through!"

"And it's a him to? Does he have a name?"

Madara glared at the laughing kunoichi.

Mogami certainly did have a name, picked out during a late night of attempting to heal him with perhaps not enough sleep. There was no way that he was going to admit that to Sakura though, the little yokai.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just teasing. I know you can build a kind of ridiculous feeling bond with your first patients. I did. My friend Ino even took the octopus she was working with back to the ocean when she was done."

The Uchiha's expression softened at her words. Not just her apology but her story. She rarely spoke of the people from her old village and to have her share a tale about one of her old friends warmed his heart. The fact that her expression didn't fall with sorrow once she realized her words was even better.

Not wanting to let her think too deeply and find that misery, he spoke quickly.

"What should I do with Mogami now?" Madara asked, hoping to distract her from her thoughts by attempting to make her laugh, even if it was at his own expense. He would happily accept her laughing at him if it meant she didn't succumb to her sorrow, even if just for a few moments.

It worked, Sakura's laughter ringing out like bells.

"Mogami?" she giggled, her laughter shaking her shoulders.

"Yes, Mogami! I've spent the last couple days with this fish in my house, the least he deserves is a proper name!"

He tried to level her with an irritated look but couldn't smother his happiness at having succeeded in distracting her enough for it to be effective. A smirk still pulled at the corner of his lip, fighting against his will to hide it.

"I like it, actually," Sakura finally got out as her amusement waned, bringing her hand up to wipe a tear that had formed at the corner of her eye, "It suits him."

Her giggles returned for a moment before she finally composed herself. "Okay, okay. The next thing I want you to do: I want you to do the exact same thing as before, heal this gash, but do not use the paper with the seal. I want you to do it by yourself."

"Sounds easy enough," Madara commented, glancing down at the familiar cut running down the side of his fish.

"If you say so," she sing songed in response, taking a step away from him and returning to her cushion at her table.

Madara hadn't realized how close they had been standing until Sakura pulled away. She had been so close to him that he could feel the warmth from her body slowly abandoning his own, the scent of herbs and wildflowers leaving with her. He suddenly felt chilled and the air entering his lungs felt crisp, as if he had been breathing her in without even noticing.

When she held out her box of sugary treats, distracting him from his thoughts and silently offering him a rakugan from her stash, he thanked her and leaned forward to pluck a cookie pressed into the shape of a rabbit from its depths.

"Goodnight, Sakura. I'll see you tomorrow," he spoke with a smile before taking a bite of his treat and turning to leave.

"Madara, wait," her soft voice called out, the nervousness obvious in her tone.

"Hmm?" he turned to face her once again, eyebrows quirked up in curiosity as he swallowed his bite.

"Listen… Even though I'm teaching you medical ninjutsu, and even though you seem to have a natural proficiency with it…" Sakura began, her eyes lingering on the tatami mats below her as she searched for her words.

Her gaze drew up from the floor to meet his, the barely restrained concern in her emerald orbs clenching his heart. "After you learn how to heal yourself, I still want you to come see me after every battle. I'm sure you'll be able to take care of yourself one day, I just… I want to double check and make sure you're okay."

A smile stretched across Madara's lips as warmth stretched along his skin. He felt the same strange sensation, the one that felt so close to excitement, build in his chest. Her words, her concern for him, touched a place deep within him.

"I will," he answered, the sudden tightness in his chest lowering his voice.

* * *

Sakura was conflicted.

As she listened to the sound of Madara departing from her home, the fusuma gently sliding shut as he left, her inner turmoil only rose. Despite the Uchiha brothers' visit bringing with it the same sense of companionship it always did and despite her heart still racing from how close she had stood to the object of her affections, the memory of his warmth and the scent of a bonfire still lingering, the visit was tainted with worry.

She was impressed that both of the brothers had taken to the art of healing so quickly and, while she knew that the skill would one day serve both Madara and Izuna well, the reality of the situation left her with a lingering sense of anxiety. When Madara had spoken of how the jutsu would be helpful on the battlefield, concern had reared its head in her heart.

Her impossible little crush aside, she cared deeply for Madara as a friend. Although he had shown an aptitude for the art of healing, she hated the thought of him attempting to heal himself in a battle, missing something, and dying from internal wounds. Or, worse yet, injuring himself even farther. Medical ninjutsu, especially the Mystical Palm Technique, was a complicated and dangerous technique that could easily result in the user maiming or killing their target.

Sakura wanted to make sure that, no matter what, Madara would be safe - at least as safe as one could be in this time. She wanted him to promise to her that he would always come and see her following their battles to ensure he was okay.

Secretly, selfishly… she also hated the thought of him not coming to see her to get healed anymore. If he could heal himself, then his visits would be cut by more than half.

Sakura had been excited when Izuna and Madara had asked her to teach them medical ninjutsu. It had been the perfect excuse for her to be close to Madara, to spend more time with him and Izuna both. As Madara progressed so quickly, however, she began to develop mixed feelings. She was happy because the brothers would soon be able to heal themselves and others in an emergency if she wasn't around to do so but conflicted because they wouldn't have need for her as much.

If they could heal themselves, she would be able to spend even less time with the few people in this time that she cared about.

She would be that much more alone...

Shame immediately rushed through Sakura at the thought. She should be happy that they were getting so proficient with medical ninjutsu so quickly. That meant that they could heal themselves, heal others. This knowledge could become the only thing standing between life and death for her friends. Yet, here she was, upset because they wouldn't be spending as much time with her.

Mind made up, Sakura forced down her distress and decided that she would be more active in supporting their hard work. She was their friend. She should be proud of them and their progress. It didn't matter if she was alone.

After all, she would be the one leaving them one day...

* * *

 _A/N: I did a significant amount of research, rewatching the latter half of pre-Shippuden Naruto to determine how long it took for Sakura to learn how to heal animals with a seal, to learn how to heal without the seal, and to fully learn how to use the Mystical Palm Technique. After charting out how many days passed per episode (based on scenes where it's day or night, recovery speeds for different characters, and weather patterns) and plotting out all of the scenes she was shown healing, I've determined that it took around eight days to learn to heal with a seal, between three to eight days to learn to heal without, and around a month to be skilled enough to be allowed to heal people with the Mystical Palm Technique in combat situations (something that reflects her having learned the skill far sooner, between a week to a month)._

 _All information considered, I would say that Sakura learned how to heal in about a month. While Madara is absolutely a genius when it comes to ninjutsu, Sakura is a medical prodigy, her skills with medical jutsu never before seen. Because of this, I made it so it takes a much longer time for Madara to learn the technique than Sakura (but not as long as Ino who took around three months, the amount of time Tsunade gave her for a brief apprenticeship)._

 _Mogami, the name of Madara's fish, is the name of a river in Japan._


	21. Mother

_A/N: Inarizushi, Madara's favorite food, is technically a kind of sushi. You fill an Aburaage pouch (a seasoned, deep fried tofu pouch) with sushi rice and a wide variety of other ingredients (an array of vegetables, a kind of shrimp called Sakura ebi, pickled cherry blossoms, and many more different fillings). They are very sweet, although not considered a dessert, and are a common side dish at many restaurants._

* * *

While Sakura had spent a fair amount of time at the Uchiha main household, frequently joining Madara and Izuna for dinners and visiting to drop off supplies and requests for her clinic, she had avoided stepping foot in the sprawling home since the incident after her birthday. She was still unaware of many of the intricacies of social etiquette during this time and, as she made her way up to the head household, she was hyper aware of the eyes of a few passing clan members lingering on her.

Even as she knocked on their front door, she felt as if she were breaking some unspoken rule. As she stood at the entrance to Madara and Izuna's home, nervously running her fingers along the edge of the box she held in her hands, her anxiety swelled. Not only was she concerned that she was breaking some unspoken rule yet again but the gifts she had prepared were also a significant source of apprehension.

She worried over whether or not it was socially acceptable for her to have brought the gift dwelling within the box she held and whether or not she was being too forward. More than anything, however, the weight of the present tucked into the obi wrapped around her waist was the heaviest.

Sakura lamented once again over whether or not it was appropriate for her to have brought it. She had once promised herself that she would make as little an impact on this timeline as she could but, as her stay in the past grew to surpass a year, she could no longer lie to herself and say her existence during this time would not have an effect on the future. Even more, as the number of scrolls she had read increased even farther as well, her hopelessness rose with it.

No matter how hard she worked to discover the key to returning to her time, she was no closer than the day she first arrived in the past. No matter how much information she gathered in her increasingly desperate attempt to return home, nothing brought her closer to her goal. No matter how hard she tried to fight the thought - and the mixed feelings of despair and shameful relief - she began to suspect that she would be trapped in the past forever.

Did it even matter if she affected the timeline anymore? Had she already with everything she had done? Would it be better if she _tried_ to change the course of history? Could she do so even if she wanted to or was the course of reality set in stone?

Would she ever see her home - her friends and her family - again? Was she destined to be here? Was she destined to die here?

Sakura's rapidly escalating thoughts, and the quickly rising nausea building within her, were suddenly interrupted by the door leading inside the Uchiha clan head home sliding open. She started in surprise, once again focusing her attention outward and onto Izuna's confused expression.

"I was wondering who could have been knocking at the front door. Most visitors here use the side doors or barge in uninvited," Izuna commented, his friendly demeanor a sharp contrast to her dark thoughts returning to the back of her mind to be ignored once again.

"Sorry. Next time I'll just barge in then. I'd hate to concern you," Sakura tried to joke in response, drawing an amused huff from the Uchiha.

"I'm surprised you didn't, actually. Madara and I seem to let ourselves into your home whenever we come by," he answered, stepping aside so Sakura could enter his home.

"You've both been much better about it since you walked in on me with my patient that one time."

"Don't remind me…" He closed the door behind her as she slipped off her shoes. "Come on back. We're just working on our fishes."

Sakura followed Izuna down one of the sprawling hallways, her eyes lingering on the trophies and paintings which hung along the walls. Memorabilia from various battles and historical events over the years decorated the walls, a vast array of worn weapons and polished armor interspersed with paintings almost always decorated with the Uchiha clan crest.

As her gaze flicked down the few hallways they passed, she thought of how the massiveness of Izuna and Madara's home made for a lonely feeling.

She could easily tell the head household was built to house an abundant family, including even extended relatives such as aunts, uncles, and grandparents. The emptiness of the house only served to remind her that the two Uchiha clan heads were the last of their branch of the clan and were very much alone. That they had lost their siblings, their parents, their grandparents, and perhaps all but one aunt who chose to live on her own with her daughter and two sons.

"So what did you bring me?" Izuna questioned, slowing down so he could attempt to lift the lid on the box in Sakura's hands.

She shooed away his curious hands. "Hey, it's for both you and Madara. Paws off."

"Then half of whatever it is is mine either way, is it not?" he pressed, earning nothing but an unimpressed look from Sakura in response.

The pair entered a large, shared living room that both brothers frequently occupied, the space already familiar to Sakura. The hearth that rested in the center of the room was unlit, the spring day warm enough without the added heat from the flames. The fusuma which lined the wall were open, allowing the pleasant breeze and the sunshine from outside to fill the space. A small grass training ground was visible outside the open doorway, neatly tucked away in the center of the compound and bordered on all sides by the walls of the house.

When her eyes met Madara's, the Uchiha seated on a cushion at the table near the opened fusuma, he was already gazing up at her with a smile on his face. His fish laid before him, set atop a cloth to protect the wood of the tabletop, and Izuna had a similar set up at the opposite end of the table, although with a scroll decorated with a seal beneath his own carp.

"Hello, Sakura. I'm a bit surprised that you've come to us for a visit," Madara greeted, gesturing for her to sit next to him.

"I just wanted to stop by to drop off a couple of presents," Sakura returned as she came forward to kneel down on the cushion next to the elder Uchiha, Izuna lowering himself back into his own seat as well.

"Presents?" Madara parroted in surprise, eyeing the box that she set on the table.

"I wanted to show you both my support and try to help you both along. I remember how hard these parts were - how tough it was to figure out the basics of medical ninjutsu - and I wanted to help," she explained as she pulled a small, tightly bound scroll from her obi.

"The beginning of medical ninjutsu is all about learning how to modulate your chakra correctly. It's about learning how it feels to manipulate tissue with your chakra. That's why my mentor taught me using fish: the first portion of the training can be life threatening for a human patient," she continued, unwinding the cord wrapped around the scroll.

"The seals are useful since they help teach you how healing is supposed to feel - how it's different from elemental jutsus, genjutsu, and even walking on water. It creates a base that you can work off of. After you start trying to manipulate tissues without the seal though… Well, to put it simply, it helps to have a bit more in depth knowledge."

Sakura unrolled the scroll across the table in front of her, revealing rows of neatly written text interspersed with hand drawn figures and diagrams. Madara and Izuna both leaned in, curious, their eyes flicking across her handwritten notes.

"I hadn't expected you to move along so quickly so I hadn't put together the information that will help you along during this part of the training yet," she half lied, not wanting to bring attention to her inner dilemma or the well hidden secret that spawned it, "So, last night, I put together this brief guide."

"I see," Madara spoke, angling the scroll so him and Izuna could better read her notes. Varying degrees of concentration and confusion painted both of their expressions.

"I mostly go over the various kinds of epithelial cells, the basic framework and functionality of a neuron, and the structures of smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscle cells along with their reactions to direct chakra based manipulation," Sakura summarized simply as she gestured to the various diagrams she had drawn, unaware of both brothers' befuddled gazes snapping up to her face.

"I left out the various cells in the blood and things like hormones, the more specialized neurons in the brain, and sensory transducer cells since I figured that could be saved for later if either of you wanted to pursue this further. I didn't want to overwhelm you both too much in the beginning," she finished, starting when her eyes rose to meet the gazes of the Uchiha and she was met with looks of utter confusion.

"Sakura?" Izuna began softly.

"Uh… yes?"

"I haven't the faintest clue about _any_ of the things you just spoke of."

"I, er… Guess this is unfamiliar material for you both?" she replied, clearing her throat to fight against the heavy sensation of doubt and regret encroaching on the edges of her thoughts, "Well, it's all detailed in the scroll either way. You could benefit from doing a bit of reading yourself, Izuna. It might help you succeed in figuring out how to mend that cut with the seal."

"I'll keep that in mind," Izuna grumbled, glaring down at his fish with more malice than was appropriate for a dead carp.

"My next present is a bit simpler," Sakura added quickly, desperate to change the topic and to shove down the heaviness building in her chest.

Avoiding the gazes of either of the brothers, she shyly pushed forward the box sitting on the table between them. Madara's curious gaze flicked between her and the box before he reached out and pulled the lid off of the gift.

"Is this...?" Madara began, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"Yes. Although, I don't know how well they came out since I've never made them before..." Sakura answered, an embarrassed flush building on her cheeks.

Smiling widely now, Madara plucked one of the deep fried rice balls out of the box. With more confidence than he usually had with her cooking, he took a bite out of the treat, soon humming in contentment. Sakura nearly sighed aloud in relief at his satisfied reaction. She was worried that she had made it incorrectly and, considering that inarizushi was Madara's favorite food, she had wanted to leave a positive impression.

Izuna reached over the table to pluck one of the treats from the box and take a confident bite, having used his elder brother as a guinea pig for Sakura's cooking. As he chewed, making a pleased noise behind his mouthful, Madara thoughtfully gazed at the half eaten treat in his hand, a smile lingering on his lips.

"Have I ever told you why these are my favorite?" Madara asked, Izuna noticeably pausing in the second bite of his inarizushi.

"No, I don't think so," Sakura replied, glancing at Izuna.

"My mother used to make these for me when I was a boy," Madara explained softly, Sakura's lips parting in surprise.

His… mother?

With a suddenness that felt jarring, Madara's lingering smile appeared to be bittersweet and Izuna's silence felt heavy.

"She was never allowed to be affectionate with us, considering we were being raised to be warriors. But she would show us her love in other ways. Like making us special foods or teaching us skills. How to cook, how to clean, how to tend to children… Inarizushi always reminds me of her," he revealed, taking another bite of the treat in his hands.

Sakura felt deeply moved by the fact Madara had opened up to her and even more so that it was about something so incredibly personal, about someone he obviously loved dearly who had passed away. She felt at odds with herself, unable to come up with words that felt appropriate for the gravity of the situation.

Floundering mentally, she spoke softly, "I'm glad that I was able to make something that reminded you of something happy, of someone you love... She sounds like a wonderful woman."

Madara nodded. "She was..."

"I'm really happy that they turned out edible too, honestly," she muttered as he finished off the last bite of his treat.

He chuckled deeply. "Better than edible. They're delicious. Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up even with her lingering surprise. She had expected to just drop off the gifts for her friends and to leave and here Madara had opened up to her about his mother, revealing to her a piece of his rarely talked about and sometimes secretive past.

Sakura cleared her throat and, not knowing what else to say, she replied, "You're welcome…"

As he reached to pluck another inarizushi from the box before him and paused, his eyes flicking up to his brother, Sakura gaze returned to Izuna as well. The younger Uchiha sat in the same position as before, a half finished inarizushi loosely held in his hand. His gaze lingered on the table before him but his eyes were unfocused. The only thing that hinted at his distress was the slight downward tug on the normally harmonic Uchiha's lips.

"Izuna?" Sakura broached softly, her expression pinched in concern.

"Hmm?" Izuna muttered, his far off look disappearing as an expression of calculated indifference settled on his face.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he assured, a smile stretching across his lips but not reaching his eyes.

It was an expression all too familiar to Sakura. One she had seen hundreds of times back in Konoha, back in her time. One of Sai's smiles. Fake.

Izuna finished off the fried rice ball in his hands, forcing down the mouthful, before returning to work on his fish as if nothing had happened. Carefully ignoring the box of treats on the table, and the knowing look from Madara, he continued work on his task.

Sakura frowned deeply, feeling even more conflicted by her visit.

* * *

Izuna felt as if his skin was crawling.

No matter what he tried, he could not wrap his mind around how to mend the gash on the side of his fish. He could not understand any of the notes that Sakura had left them a couple of days previous, unable to even begin to fathom the hidden mechanics of these mysterious cells that he could not even see. Her explanations in her notes made no sense to him, her words written as if in another language entirely.

Even though Madara had understood the meaning behind her writing with the same effortlessness that a newborn doe learned to walk, Izuna could not discern either her texts or the second step to their training. When he had even tried to revisit the first lesson in an attempt to build off of old knowledge, he found himself unable to do even that.

With each minute that passed, every single second ticking by being agonizingly vivid, Izuna's frustration grew. As his irritation built, so did a slowly rising feeling of helplessness. His slowly darkening mood was only made all the worse by the reminder of the death of the most important woman in his life. The death of the person he missed every second he drew breath. The death of the person that afforded him his Mangekyo…

His mother.

Izuna found himself unable to focus, his thoughts torn between a crippling sense of mourning and a feeling of uselessness he hadn't felt since he watched his mother die.

He was an Uchiha. He was never supposed to fail. He was always supposed to succeed in anything he put his mind to. The only time he had been forced to accept that he had failed was when he had been unable to save his mother. So thoroughly failing at this damned training only served to remind him once again of that same sensation of hopelessness. With that sensation of hopelessness came a surge of anger.

With every push of chakra from his body into the fish beneath his hands, a nagging itch within him grew. The once ignorable tingle only became worse and worse until his agitation felt as if it would burn through his chest.

When Izuna finally felt as if he was ready to break - as he teetered on the precipice of choosing to flood his fish with fire instead of ineffective chakra - a soft knock echoing through the house shattered his focus. It was only when he ceased his chakra output that he finally noticed the flaking patch of scorched flesh on the side of his fish, his chakra so forceful and unfocused that he had nearly burned a hole through his carp.

Roughly running his hand through his bangs as he tried to clear his thoughts and his rage, he slowly stood from his place at the low table. Taking a few deep breaths as he walked to the front door, he forced an expression of careful neutrality onto his face.

It would not do for anyone to see how emotionally affected he had been. He was one of the clan heads. He helped lead his family alongside his brother. To show that he had succumbed to his emotions so easily would only sow seeds of doubt in those who looked to him for guidance.

Taking one final breath to clear his lingering thoughts, Izuna opened the door and was surprised to find Sakura behind it once again.

"Oh, Sakura," he greeted lamely, his gaze dropping down to the box she held out for him to take, one very similar to the one she had brought a couple of days previous.

"I'm sorry, I can't visit with you today since I have a few patients who needs my attention. But, I wanted to make sure that I brought you this," Sakura explained with a smile, "I made it this morning. This one's all yours, Izuna."

"What is it?" he asked curiously, moving the warm box to one hand so he could lift the lid.

"Sorry, I really can't talk right now. Come by later though if you want," she replied in a rush, already turning to hurry back to her clinic with a farewell wave over her shoulder.

Before Izuna could say a word in return, he was distracted by an achingly familiar scent wafting out of the box. His gaze slowly dropped down to the gift in his hands before he lifted the edge of the lid and peeked inside. When he finally saw the contents within, he couldn't help but smile.

Sakura had made him tonkatsu. His favorite food.

The deep fried pork cutlets appeared to be edible and the familiar scent brought him back to his childhood. To a time before the darkness of the never ending war with the Senju. To a time spent with his mother.

All of the frustration, the anger, and the sorrow that had infested his body not even a minute before washed away as the loving memories of his mother surfaced, even if for just a moment. The itch that threatened to burn it's way through his chest died away, instead replaced with a warmth for the woman he could proudly call his closest friend.

A smile still lingered across his lips as he carefully replaced the lid on the box and returned inside to eat a meal he hadn't had since he was a child.

Sakura truly was something else...

* * *

The latest task that Sakura had assigned Madara had been nearly as difficult as the first. The Uchiha hadn't realized how big of a handicap the seals had been until he had been forced to mend the cut on his fish without using it as an aid. The seals had been incredibly helpful while learning to modulate his chakra, like being given a cup to fill a bucket with water from a stream. Now, without the seals, it was like attempting to fill that bucket with his bare hands: sloppy, arduous, and irritating.

Both him and Izuna had poured over the texts that Sakura had gifted them with, the information within as innovative as it was complex. Using her detailed explanations of the variety of cells and their reactions to chakra manipulation, he had gained a deeper understanding of the process of healing. He now understood what he had once done through nothing but sensation and trial and error alone.

It felt as if he had previously been wildly swinging a sword but Sakura's texts had been like giving him a lesson of proper stance and form. What he had once accomplished on instinct he could now easily recreate with understanding.

While he had readily been able to decipher Sakura's writing and apply it to his technique, Izuna had no such luck. He continued to struggle to mend the gash in his fish with no avail and, when he attempted to return to the first step of their training in an attempt to build off of old knowledge, he was unable recreate his progress from before. He could sense Izuna's rapidly rising anger at being unable to succeed - something that had always come to him so easily - and he hoped his brother would find some peace before he lost control of his temper.

Using Sakura's scroll as a guide, it was two weeks until Madara finally mended the gash on his fish without the use of seals. It was a success that filled him with an unbridled sense of accomplishment but also filled his sibling with ever increasing frustration.

After slashing cuts into the side of his fish and mending them once again nearly a dozen times, Madara felt confident enough in his technique to share his success with Sakura. Leaving his agitated brother to his own devices, Madara went to visit with their medic and, when he arrived, he came across her treating a young girl for bruises sustained during training.

Politely waiting for Sakura to finish, he considered the young girl being treated. She couldn't have been older than ten, meaning that it would still be some time before the spindly young woman fought in the war. She was covered in bruises and dirt, her filthy pants torn at the knees and her high collared shirt nearly hiding the scrape on her chin.

She would make a fine warrior one day.

Not even a century ago, however, this young girl wouldn't have even been allowed to train.

In ancient times, when the laws preventing women from taking part in the battles had first been enacted, the reasoning behind them had been logical: The women had been far too valuable to lose in the battles. During the time before interbreeding had been deemed unacceptable and perverse, the loss of a precious Uchiha woman brought their entire family closer to oblivion.

If twenty men left to fight and only five returned, the clan would survive. If twenty women left to fight and only five returned, that could mean the extinction of their bloodline.

Time progressed and, once defects and miscarriages became more commonplace than healthy births, interbreeding was scorned. The clan realized that their survival was dependent on condemning the practice they once considered a necessity. This change in clan policy also meant that women should have been able to choose whether they desired to take part in battle as their deaths were not as monumental as they once were.

Instead, however, the male leader of the clan at the time had felt threatened by this attitude, worried his leadership would be overthrown by a woman, and refused to allow the women of the clan to learn to fight. A great many of the Uchiha men, used to being above the women, had agreed with this sentiment. As the generations of women leading up to the current population had not learned to fight while every man had been trained for battle since birth, the women had been forced into subservience.

Until one of Madara's distant predecessors, Tetsuo Uchiha, had taken over control of the clan and had instigated a revolution.

It had been during a time when the Senju's had been lead by one of the most ruthless and deadly women in history, Shun Senju. She had been a brilliant tactician and had shown no mercy to her enemies. She had cut a bloody swath through the country, very nearly bringing the Uchiha to their knees.

The leader of the Uchiha at the time, Tetsuo, had done away with old laws which had prevented the women in the clan from joining in the battles. He had recognized, with no small amount of shame, that Shun Senju was just as powerful and intelligent as he was and that the women in his own clan had just the same capability for prowess in battle as her and himself.

Tetsuo had listened to the outraged cries of the Uchiha women who mourned the deaths of their fathers, brothers, and sons and who wished to join the war to seek revenge and protect their family. Despite a near revolt from furious men who wished to maintain their dominion over the women, a dominance they would have sacrificed their own lives and the lives of their family to maintain, he had given the women the freedom to fight if they wished. Every woman in the clan – young and old alike - had fervently taken to the challenge, startling the men with how quickly they took to the art of death and the bloodlust they brought to the battlefield.

Little did they know that their sorrows had already afforded them their sharingan.

This army of Uchiha women turned the tides of war, preventing the extinction of their clan, pushing back the Senju, and even leading to the death of the Senju matriarch on the battlefield. Shun had finally fallen to the hands of Ryoko Uchiha who, by proving herself as the strongest member of the clan, would become matriarch of the Uchiha's immediately following the battle.

As the story went, Tetsuo had proudly stepped down, cordially accepting that Ryoko had earned her place as leader, and the women never returned to subservience with their newfound strength.

As Madara watched Sakura, the most powerful kunoichi he had ever met, heal the young Uchiha girl, he wondered if his relative would one day prove herself in battle and take leadership of the clan from him as Ryoko had done to Tetsuo all those years ago.

Mostly, he just hoped the young girl would outlive him.

He certainly would try his damndest to make sure. While Tetsuo had caused an upheaval in the clan which saved them from oblivion and allowed for equality to finally take root, Madara had been a revolutionary himself.

Despite having abandoned his childhood dreams of peace, one aspect of those dreams that he put into action as leader of his family was preventing the deaths of the children in his clan. Instead of children being forced into battle at the age of four, or whenever the armor finally fit, Madara refused to allow an Uchiha to see the battlefield until at least their thirteenth birthday. Children who already knew of war were pulled from the ranks and forced to train instead of fight.

This had resulted in a near insurrection from the rest of the clan who struggled to survive in the never ending battles and who were outraged at the loss of so many fighters. Madara was certain that the only reason he hadn't been usurped immediately was because of his newly awakened mangekyo sharingan and the fear his own clan mates felt at the power he now wielded.

Madara had taken it upon himself to make up for the loss of nearly a quarter of their fighting force, pushing himself far beyond his limits and fully taking advantage of the abilities his newly awakened powers had afforded him. His eyesight had deteriorated so quickly in those first couple of weeks that he had struggled to adjust to the damage for months.

The battles had become much easier when Izuna had awakened his mangekyo as well.

Luckily, Hashirama had taken over leadership of the Senju shortly after Madara had become leader of the Uchiha and had implemented the very same practice change. Neither side sent their children to war any longer.

Despite knowing that he would one day be forced to kill his childhood best friend, Madara was incredibly grateful to Hashirama for at least joining him in removing their young family members from the battlefield. They may never know peace but at least children no longer had to fight to the death. At least they had accomplished that much of their shared dream.

As Madara watched over the two kunoichi sitting in Sakura's clinic, the young Uchiha made eye contact with him.

He blinked at her curiously as a sly smile lit up her face, the smirk on her lips insinuating some secret held within her mind. He quirked an eyebrow at the young kunoichi, earning an outright grin in response. The young girl glanced over at Sakura before looking back to Madara with a knowing look.

Madara's eyebrows came together in exasperation as he huffed in annoyance at the girl. The little brat just giggled, looking away as Sakura finished her healing session by whisking away the scrape on the young girl's chin.

"Alright, all better. You go give those boys hell, you hear me?" Sakura grinned, patting the Uchiha kunoichi on the head.

"I will! Thank you, Sakura-sensei," the young girl replied, rapidly shooting to her feet and heading towards the door Madara lingered in.

She bowed to him before she passed, her respectful gesture a stark contrast to her taunting behavior from before. The dark haired man resisted the childish urge to flick the little brat in the forehead for having the gall to tease him about Sakura of all things.

Instead, he returned her bow cordially, although his was much shallower.

"Show no mercy, little one," he instructed under his breath, low enough to where Sakura wouldn't hear.

She perked up with a grin, which he returned, and a nod before darting passed him and back towards the grounds where the children trained. His smile warmed and he shook his head as he turned his attention back to Sakura.

"Teaching the girls of the clan your ruthlessness I see. I can't say that I don't approve. Although you do realize that will result in more work for you?" Madara greeted, taking a few steps inside.

"So be it. It's important that she stands up for herself and doesn't let anyone push her around," Sakura asserted strongly as she finished cleaning up what little mess she had made with her newest patient.

He knew better than to ever try to push around Sakura. She would happily rip his face off just to sew it back on backwards.

"A good lesson to learn. Uchiha kunoichi are the most powerful in the nation and should be treated as such."

"And don't forget that Uchiha pride to," Sakura teased as she moved from her clinic and headed towards the open fusuma leading outside.

Madara followed closely behind, still lugging his motionless but undamaged fish. "Pride that is well earned."

She shook her head in amusement as she sat down on the edge of her engawa, sighing happily as a cool breeze washed through. Madara took a seat next to her, holding his fish over the edge of the engawa.

"So, I see you brought your fish again. Were you able to heal it without using the seals?" Sakura asked, eyeing the carp.

"I did. Nearly a dozen times," he replied simply, grinning smugly as he turned the creature so she could see how the fish was undamaged.

Her face immediately lit up. "Wow, that's incredible! There's not even any scars left behind! And this took you what, two weeks?"

Madara quietly preened at her compliments, his chest swelling with pride. While Sakura's praise was not something hard won, her kind words still touched a note within him. After growing up as a warrior in his clan and receiving little praise or affection throughout his entire life, the ease in which she bestowed her warmth onto him always left him feeling light headed.

"This is so well done, I'd say it's time that you practiced on a human patient," Sakura decided, nodding to herself.

"Oh, do you have another patient waiti-" he began, his words trailing off when she formed a chakra scalpel in her hands, his self-satisfaction rapidly morphing into apprehension.

Madara's jaw dropped when Sakura slashed the chakra scalpel across her own forearm.

His mind blanked as his fish fell from his hands and dropped off the edge of her engawa, her action so unexpected that it took him a moment to realize that she had just cut herself. It took her pained grimace, and the sight of crimson blood gushing out of her new wound and onto the grass beneath the engawa, for his thoughts to finally catch up.

And for a sudden panic to set into his bones, adrenaline immediately pumping through his veins.

"Good gods, don't fucking do that," Madara commanded even as his hands shot forward to attempt to heal the injury she had given to herself.

His hands glowed green with healing chakra as he set about mending the gash. He felt frantic even as he did so, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew this injury was hardly life threatening but the only other time he had seen her blood was when they had first met. Even though they often sparred together, neither him nor his brother had ever drawn blood from her.

To see the vibrant red fluid freely flowing from her wound made him feel panicked.

"Oh, I think that's the first time I've ever heard you cuss!" Sakura teased, laughing jovially as he worked to mend the cut on her forearm.

"And I believe this is the first time I've seen someone gouge open their own arm!" he berated in response, his concern for her darkening his tone more than he wished.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, her laughter faded and her voice changed to a tone more befitting a debate. "People cut themselves all the time for summoning jutsus. Sometimes there needs to be a small sacrifice to accomplish something greater."

"Biting their thumb to draw a drop of blood is much different from slashing their own arm to test a healing jutsu!"

"Is it?" She quirked an eyebrow. "How else would you learn? We can wait for more severe injuries such as broken bones as long as I'm there to supervise you. But insignificant injuries such as these? A little cut like that is nothing when the payoff is you learning."

Madara huffed instead of responding.

Of course he saw her point. What had concerned him was watching her hurt herself. He couldn't find it in himself to admit that his worry stemmed from his love for her, not her teaching methods.

His eyes drifted down to assess Sakura's nearly mended wound, her blood glistening in the green glow from his healing jutsu. When he noticed how crisp his vision was, how comparatively pristine his eyesight was in comparison to his normal darkened and blurry vision, he realized that he had activated his sharingan. He couldn't even remember when he had done it but suspected it was when she had first cut herself.

When Madara looked back up to her face, her expression was much softer, as if she sensed his inner turmoil. She didn't shy away from his sharingan, instead gazing into his eyes directly and without fear.

"If anything happened, I'm more than capable of healing myself. Don't worry about it," Sakura comforted softly, her low tone making for a suddenly intimate feeling moment.

Forcing himself to calm down, and to remember his promise to himself, his gaze returned to her wound and her arm still cradled in his hands and still dripping blood although it no longer flowed from her self inflicted wound. He could feel the warmth from her skin but could also feel the warmth of her blood coating the palms of his hands.

Madara's lips pressed into a flat line, refusing to admit that his concern for her wasn't based on some perceived lack of skill either. When his lips parted, it wasn't to speak but rather to release a sigh. When he released his lungful of air, he also released the chakra in his eyes, allowing his sharingan to fade back into inactivity.

He changed the subject to hide his concern.

"Perhaps we could use some kind of animal again instead?" he grumbled as he pulled his hands away from her now healed arm, watching as Sakura lifted her arm to inspect his work.

"Unfortunately we can't use fish or any kind of animal anymore. They work pretty well for learning what healing is supposed to feel like and how to begin to manipulate tissues but, after that, not so much. Animals, especially fish, have a much different anatomy and physiology than us humans," she answered, flexing and extending her arm as she tested the healed skin, "If we kept working with fish, you'd just learn how to get really good at healing fish."

Silently sighing, Madara turned his focus back to the grove of plum trees before them in displeasure.

"I'm really impressed with your work. You did such a good job that I don't even have to go over it again. I didn't even need to have to help you modulate your chakra, you did it perfectly on your own," Sakura complimented with a smile, running her thumb through the slowly drying tracks of blood to reveal the flawless skin beneath.

The corner of Madara's lip quirked up in a muted sense of satisfaction although it quickly fell a moment later. He couldn't quite bring himself to feel contented with her praise with her arm still coated in her own fresh blood. When he glanced down at his hands, decorated in her cooling blood, the sense of dread returned.

Even if she was going to leave him one day to pursue bigger and better things once her contract with them ended and even if he could never tell her how he felt because of it… He would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

He never wanted to see her blood again.

* * *

Both of the brothers sat on the engawa bordering the grass training yard in the center of their home. The sun was close to setting, the sky brightening with shades of reds and oranges and lighting up the clouds. While the spring air was chilling as the sun retreated for the day, it remained comfortably warm.

As Izuna leaned against the wall of their home, his eyes lingering on the setting sun which was rapidly disappearing behind the roof of their home, Madara worked on healing the cuts and bruises he had received during their spar. Over the course of the past few weeks, as he trained with Sakura and her patients to learn the finer aspects of the beginning of the Mystical Palm Technique, the elder Uchiha had become quite proficient at healing small cuts, bruises, and abrasions; something he took full advantage of to heal even himself following their spars.

Once finished, the green glow of chakra dying down, Madara's eyes drifted across the minor wounds which remained on his younger brother's arms.

"You gave up too quickly. Don't you wish you were capable of healing such wounds on your own?" he teased, quirking an eyebrow at his sibling as he rested his elbow on his knee and his chin in his palm.

"I have no interest in continuing to _waste_ my time struggling to understand an impossible technique. It doesn't make _sense_ , it's all gibberish," Izuna growled, his gaze flicking away from the sunset to level his brother with an aggravated look.

"You could always visit with Sakura, I'm certain she would be more than happy to help you understand it. Her explanation of chakra based manipulation of neurons was especially fascinating."

"I believe she was correct when we first began. Either you understand it or you do not and I'm not so prideful as to be unable to accept what I am and am not capable of."

"That's remarkably humble of you," Madara teased, knowing full well the extent of his brother's pride.

"Tch! I'm exceedingly humble!" he shot back with a glare, his aggravation only revealing how his failure to understand the basics of healing jutsu truly wounded his ego.

Feigning nonchalance, despite his quiet temper, Izuna lied, "Besides, I was only interested in learning this sober up jutsu and in beating you in the competition."

"And who was the winner of that competition?" Madara questioned rhetorically, a smug grin spreading across his lips.

The younger Uchiha sighed deeply in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes slid shut.

"The _point_ is, if I ever get seriously hurt, I'll just go to Sakura. Or you now, apparently... Speaking of." Izuna held out his arm to his sibling, displaying the lazily bleeding gash he had earned while guarding against an attack, all while refusing to meet his gaze.

Madara huffed out a laugh, taking Izuna's arm in his hands and beginning the mend the cut.

As the green chakra illuminated them both in an ethereal glow, Izuna teased under his breath, "Besides, I'd hate to be the third wheel while you try to impress her. I know you enjoy your _alone time_."

Madara flushed in embarrassment and agitation, glaring up at his younger brother. With his focus drawn away from his jutsu, his chakra output fluctuated, burning Izuna.

"Ow! Hey!" Izuna complained, jerking his arm back.

"I am not trying to _impress_ her! I'm learning a valuable skill!" Madara asserted, jabbing a finger at him.

Izuna grinned in glee as Madara took the bait, even as he cradled his freshly injured arm. "Uh-huh. That's why you preen like a peacock every time she compliments you."

"I do not _preen_ ," he hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"You do. I've seen it. You preen with such intensity that even your hair fluffs up like a bird."

Izuna quickly dodged a swat aimed at the back of his head with a laugh. Madara moved to stand from his place sitting on the engawa, prepared to rekindle the spar they had just finished.

"But seriously…" Izuna started, holding up his hands in surrender to halt to inevitable fight in order to speak honestly.

"I've never seen you so enamored with someone," he began, Madara moving to attack him once again, "Wait, wait, I'm not finished!"

The elder Uchiha returned to his sitting position with a huff, giving his younger brother a look that communicated that whatever Izuna had to say had better be good.

"What I'm saying is that I like her. Her cooking is a hit or a miss most of the time, she yells a lot, and she's terrifying when she's angry, but she's thoughtful... I haven't had anyone make me tonkatsu since mother died… I…" Izuna sighed as Madara's face fell, the energy draining out of the both of them in the face of their sorrow.

"I still miss her..." the younger Uchiha finished, his words nearly inaudible.

Madara's reply was equally as quiet, as if admitting that they still mourned and missed their mother was a weakness to be kept secret. "I miss her as well…"

Silence reigned for a long moment, both brothers staring off into the training yard but focusing on nothing.

It was Izuna who broke the silence. "You know… I think they would approve of her."

Madara's eyebrows shot up in surprise as his gaze flicked back to his sibling.

As Izuna continued, a bittersweet smile grew on his face. "Mother would certainly adore her. She makes us our favorite foods, teaches us things like she used to, takes care of us in ways we never asked… Father would like her as well but not just because she's powerful. She's a master of what she does, she's confident, she doesn't tolerate people trying to put her down… He would probably try to fight her, actually."

Both brothers laughed, knowing that their father certainly would have. Their mirth broke the emotional atmosphere, the air much lighter around them.

"He certainly would have…" Madara agreed with an amused smile.

A much more comfortable silence grew between the brothers for a long moment, their smiles remaining on their faces. For the first time since their parents had died and they had been left with no one but each other, they were able to look back on the memories of their mother and father warmly.

"She's the kind of woman who would make a good wife. A good mother…" Izuna began seriously, pausing for a long moment before finally finishing, "A good matriarch."

Shock welled up in Madara at his younger brother's words. He was stunned to hear Izuna admit that he considered a non-Uchiha to be his equal, something the cocky man had never done before. Madara wanted to fall back on teasing in the tense moment but recognized Izuna's words for what they were: he accepted Sakura as family and had given Madara his blessing.

The elder Uchiha wanted to say a hundred things in response, some of them darkened by the thought Sakura would be abandoning them. That she would never stick around anyways.

 _She would. She's perfect. Thank you. I'm ecstatic that you accept her. She would make an excellent sister as well as an excellent matriarch. She will never stay. She will not stay for me. She will abandon both of us. She will abandon me. I love her but I will let her find her happiness._

Instead, Madara said nothing at all. He reached over to drop his hand on Izuna's shoulder. Squeezing tightly, he tried to convey everything he wanted to say through touch alone.

Understanding in a way only a sibling could, Izuna smirked at him and nodded. The younger Uchiha patted the hand on his shoulder before they both retreated from the rare affectionate contact.

They were quiet for some time, watching as the setting sun finally disappeared behind the roof of their home.

"But brother?" Izuna started, breaking the calm.

"Hmm?"

He silently held out his still bleeding and now burned arm, drawing laughter from Madara as he began healing the wound once again.

* * *

 _A/N: Tetsuo, the name of the Uchiha patriarch who gave the women the freedom to fight, means "wise man". I named him such because it was his wisdom that allowed him to realize that women and men are equal and that keeping the Uchiha women from the battlefield was not only a hindrance but was wrong. Ryoko, the name I gave to the first Uchiha matriarch, means "a woman who is like a dragon". This is because it was her ferocity (and skill with fire jutsu) that allowed her to kill Shun Senju._

 _Shun, the name I gave to the Senju matriarch who nearly laid waste to the Uchiha, means "talented". This is because she was an incredibly talented woman whose intelligence and strength nearly lead to victory for the Senju. The reason that the Senju never dealt with this inequality between the men and women is because they do not have a bloodline trait like the Uchiha. Since they don't have a bloodline trait, they were always free to marry and have children with whoever they wanted. Because of this, the women of the clan never had any heightened importance over the men and were always allowed (and expected) to take part in war._

 _Psst for those who read my author's notes: Hashirama, Tobirama, and Toka make their appearance in the next chapter._


	22. Faith and Doubt

_A/N:_ _Nemaki are a kind of yukata used as pajamas or nightgowns and they are usually made out of a light weight cotton._

* * *

"Really, I appreciate this. I really do. I just still don't understand why this is a necessity…" Sakura whined, embarrassment coloring her tone.

She tugged at the high collar of her black, long sleeved shirt, provided to her by the Uchiha brothers and acquired from the tailors of the clan. Even though she couldn't see it, she could feel the Uchiha clan crest on the back of the shirt burning into her back. After all this time, she was being given physical proof of being accepted into the Uchiha clan and she was floundering in the face of that realization. Sorrow from knowing she would one day abandon Madara and Izuna bloomed in her chest alongside a sense of joy and acceptance that nearly brought tears to her eyes. The two extremes tumbled haphazardly within her and formed a shame so powerful it stole the breath from her lungs.

The dark pants she wore, bandages wrapped around her ankles and secured the hem of the pants to her calves, and the familiar shinobi sandals strapped to her feet were a weak emotional salve to the internal discourse which pulsed through her like a poison. She hadn't worn pants in over a year and the garment felt shockingly liberating after wearing nothing but kimonos, yukatas, and nemaki for so long.

She may be struggling to breath with the heavy ball of shame in her chest but at least she could sit cross legged again.

As if the middle aged blacksmith who had been fitting her for her own suit of armor would allow her. Even though the Uchiha stood across her workshop at her crowded workbench, using a pair of shears to trim a swath of leather riveted to familiar red metal plates, Sakura knew she would be on her in a heartbeat if she dared to move from where the elder woman had planted her.

The spacious building was comprised of just one room with a workbench, an expansive rack holding numerous tools of the craft, a handful of mannequins supporting pieces in various states of completion, and multiple chests containing raw supplies. A still smoldering forge sat near a well worn anvil, an overflowing stock of charcoal, and large wooden tubs filled with murky water. All of the fusuma on both sides of the workshop were pulled open, allowing sunlight and a cool breeze to enter the forgemaster's workspace.

The building sat a short ways from the elder woman's own home, the sound of her children playing in her yard a soothing backdrop to the madness of her workspace.

"What I don't understand is how you are so weirdly sized that none of the armor we had in stock fits," Izuna taunted mercilessly from atop his cushion at the opposite side of the workshop, him and Madara watching as Sakura was fitted for her armor, "I'm baffled by how bottom heavy you are. It's like the gods squished you at the top like an onigiri."

"I don't understand why you're such an asshole! Keep your comments about my body to yourself!" Sakura snarled, jabbing a finger at the younger brother.

She had yet to forget about his comments about her baby hands, her scandalous old outfit, and now, least of all, _bottom heavy_. If it wasn't for her being so fond of Madara, she would have ripped Izuna's arms off already.

"Be still, child!" the forgemaster growled, striding over to drag Sakura's arm back down to her side, the piece she had been working on clutched in one hand, "If you continue to rise to his baiting, your armor will fit as poorly as his brain fits inside of his skull."

"Manchira, I'm-" Izuna tried to complain before being cut off by the eldest Uchiha.

"You will hold your tongue or you will leave, you little brat. I will not have you ruining my hard work with your childish teasing, do you hear me!" Manchira scolded loudly, her glare only made more intimidating by her activated sharingan which she used while she worked.

Instead of replying, Izuna scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. Madara hid a laugh behind his hand, tauntingly smirking at his brother as he continued to remain respectfully silent.

Huffing in aggravation, the eldest Uchiha hung the chest piece she had been working on around Sakura's neck without another word, tying and retying the leather cords until the plated armor hung from Sakura's shoulders comfortably. When Manchira tied the cords at the sides of the piece until it was snug around Sakura's chest, Sakura silently marveled at how comfortable the weighted armor was.

Despite the blacksmith's impatience and sharp tongue, she was revered as the Uchiha's prized forgemaster. Once a fearsome warrior on the battlefield, she had retired from the fight after she became pregnant with her first child. Quickly bored with the quiet life of a mother and a defender of the village, she took to the art of smithing, studying under the clan's former blacksmith. After the passing of her mentor, she had taken over as the forgemaster for the clan, a place of honor in the clan of warriors.

Manchira's personality was as serious as her meticulous work.

The charcoal haired woman looked over the chest piece with a critical eye, circling around Sakura twice as she inspected her work with her sharingan. She nodded before muttering something under her breath and returning to her workbench, tucking a stray hair back into her utilitarian bun as she went.

As Sakura watched Manchira work, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by the whole situation. She didn't feel as if she needed armor and getting a set gifted to her by Madara and Izuna, on top of the shirt with the clan crest emblazoned on the back, was too much for her. She kept trying to turn the brothers down but Madara couldn't be convinced otherwise.

"Really, I don't see why I need this," Sakura tried once again, her discomfort making her want to fidget.

"It's important that you're protected if you are on the battlefield with us," Madara returned simply.

Throughout the entire process, the clan leader had had a near indistinguishable smile on his face that made her feel as if there were some alternative reason for her getting this suit of armor. The slight quirk of the corners of his lips betrayed the fact that he had a secret and Sakura could not figure out what it could possibly be for the life of her.

"I've fought in my regular clothes my entire life and kimonos this past year. And I'm a medic. This is unnecessary…" she argued once again.

Manchira strode forward with two pauldrons in her hands, carefully tying the shoulder protection onto the chest piece using additional leather cords. She pulled tight on the cords until the second piece of the armor was secure against Sakura's shoulders and upper arms.

The stern woman intensely appraised her work, none daring to speak as she focused. The silence dragged on for a long moment before she frowned deeply. She shook her head in dissatisfaction, mumbling something in a harsh tone beneath her breath as she untied the pauldrons and pulled them off. She carried them back to her workbench where the process began once again.

"The armor is a benefit not just because of the protection it offers, something even you need as a medic," Madara explained, giving Sakura a pointed look before continuing in a more serious tone, "It also signifies your position in the clan. You'll be regarded as a warrior of equal standing with any other member of our family when you wear that armor."

"I…" Sakura mumbled, her words fading off in the face of the intensity in the elder Uchiha's voice.

He still could not be swayed. Her gut churned, a knot of shame building in her throat.

A warrior of equal standing? To be considered such a thing by the prideful Uchiha clan was deeply significant. The meaning behind this gift was becoming more apparent as they went on and the more meaningful it became, the more ashamed she felt for receiving it.

Merely the thought of whether or not she would take the armor with her when she returned to her time nearly brought tears to her eyes.

"Also, you won't be mistaken as an enemy during the heat of battle. Even though your hair would certainly make it difficult…" Izuna tacked on, thankfully breaking her concentration.

"I would be worried about your eyesight if you mistook me for an enemy on the battlefield, especially if I wore my brightly colored yukatas," Sakura commented offhandedly, looking away from the brothers lest they notice the sorrow on her face.

Sakura instead looked on as Manchira worked, hammering at the pauldrons laid out on her workbench and better securing the crimson metal plating to the leather backing. She missed how Madara and Izuna gazed at one another from the corners of their eyes, communicating silently in a way only the brothers could.

The forgemaster stepped forward again, the final piece of the armor in her arms this time. Not caring for how invasive she was being, she tied the metal plating to the bottom of Sakura's chest piece, the next layer of armor hanging from either side of her hips.

The eldest Uchiha pulled back, dropping her chin into her cupped fingers as she eyed her work.

"Ah, good, good," she hummed, nodding, before stopping back at her workbench.

Manchira returned with the pauldrons and made quick work of strapping the arm and neck protection to Sakura's dainty shoulders. She tied and retied the leather cords multiple times until she appeared satisfied with their placement. She took a few steps backwards, her sharp eyes raking over her work. She circled around Sakura three times before coming to a stop in front of her.

"At last! Perfection!" she declared suddenly, making Sakura jump in surprise.

Sakura finally looked down, her eyes taking in the finished product. Her hidden shame only multiplied as she stared down at the beautifully smithed armor, the brightly lacquered metal plates gleaming in the sunlight. She was amazed by the craftsmanship and was even more impressed by how well the armor fit her. It clung to her perfectly in all the right places, hardly restricted her movements, and, despite the weight being noticeable, it was not a hindrance.

She was sure it would look great hanging in her closet back in her time…

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat.

"This is incredible," she complimented sincerely, her voice barely a whisper.

"You flatter me, Lady Sakura, but we won't know until you fight in it. I want you to wear it during your spars with these two every day for the next week and come back to me afterwards. And be honest with me. You'll only offend me if you die on the battlefield because my armor doesn't fit well enough," Manchira instructed, the corner of her lip quirking up as her sharingan returned to dormancy.

Sakura felt that she didn't deserve this gift, that she didn't deserve a place in their family, but she was deeply touched by it nonetheless. She was ashamed that she would one day abandon them all but the fact she held a place of love and respect in the guarded clan was enough to tear at her heartstrings.

She choked down her sorrow until she was sure her tone would express her sincerity.

"Of course. Thank you very much, Manchira," she thanked deeply, genuine gratefulness coloring her tone.

Sakura turned to face the two clan heads, a jumble of words catching in her chest as she gazed at their happy faces. She wanted to say how sorry she was. She wanted to say that she didn't deserve this. She wanted to say that she loved them both so dearly that the thought that she would one day leave them, that she would abandon them and return to a place where they were long dead, filled her with a dread so heavy she felt like she was drowning.

She struggled for a long moment, searching for the right thing to say. When she spoke, she spoke from the heart.

"Thank you both. I know that all of this is more meaningful than you're making it out to be. I understand and I..." She paused as she felt the knot in her throat reform and heat prickle at the backs of her eyes.

Sakura watched as Madara and Izuna's expressions softened and felt more guilt build in her chest. They saw her as the woman who had lost her village and everyone she loved to tragedy. They thought that she was coming to view their home as her own… Something she couldn't deny and something that would rip her heart from her chest when she lost everyone she loved once again.

"Just... thank you," she finally forced out when she felt like speaking wouldn't summon the tears threatening to form.

Sakura wished the ground would open and swallow her. At least death would be a better fate than being forced to give up the people she had come to love during this time just to return to the people she loved in her time.

"Anything to keep you safe," Madara spoke, his soft words betraying a deeper meaning and making her heart skip a beat in her chest despite her silent anguish.

Why did things have to become so complicated...

She quickly broke eye contact with the man she secretly pined for to regard the forgemaster once again. Manchira had a smirk on her face and quirked her eyebrow at Sakura in amusement, misreading her internal struggle but accurately deciphering her feelings for the clan leader.

"I… I'll come back soon. Thank you again," Sakura choked out, unable to face the elder woman's knowing look, before turning on her heel and striding out of the Uchiha's open air workshop.

She heard the clan heads briefly thank Manchira before they both appeared at her sides. As she walked, she could feel the unfamiliar sensation of the metal plated armor moving with her. Even with sorrow clogging her senses, the extra weight of the meticulously crafted armor made her feel oddly powerful. More than that though, the gift deeply touched her on a level that she could hardly fathom. She hadn't felt so accepted, so wanted and loved, since the cat summons had invited her to join their pride.

Sakura would never, could never, forget this feeling as long as she lived.

When Madara's low voice sounded next to her ear, her thoughts were gratefully derailed completely.

"Care to dance, Sakura?" he challenged in a purr, his love of battle coloring his words so his tone sounded more like he was asking her to his bed rather than to the battlefield.

She cleared her throat, hoping to hide how her voice rose an octave. "Of course."

In that moment, Sakura was able to forget the future and focus on the then. To push away her quest and it's inevitable conclusion for an afternoon as she fought away her misery with the men she had come to love.

* * *

Over the next week, Sakura wore her new set of armor every time she sparred with him and his brother. Izuna had been impressed by how quickly his treasured friend adjusted to the extra weight of the armor and decided to really test her to improve her skill during these fights.

The young clan head had been especially ruthless during these sessions, grabbing Sakura by the seams of her armor or by the leather cords that secured it to her body and dragging her around. He wanted to show her that despite the armor giving her added advantages on the battlefield, it had its disadvantages as well. Such as giving an enemy more points to get a grip on her or more points for her to get caught on.

Like anyone but him and Madara would be stupid enough to step into the three foot danger zone around the powerhouse of a woman, especially when she was swinging around that damn axe of hers. An axe that she was beginning to become _frightening_ proficient with and one which she kept stored in a scroll she kept at the small of her back.

While she still had a ways to go before she was as skilled with it as Madara was with his scythe and gunbai or he was with his katana, that in no way reflected a lack of deadliness on her part. She could literally topple mountains with one swing of her axe, a feat that was both terrifying and awe inspiring for any who witnessed her fighting.

While she could easily accomplish her brand of destruction with her bare hands, the crisp, clean lines left behind when she utilized her axe, like someone had meticulously sanded down her stony victims to a perfectly flat plane, made her all the more intimidating.

By the end of their first few training sessions, and after they had thoroughly infuriated her by grabbing her by her armor or slapping the pauldrons up into her face, Sakura had rapidly adjusted to the disadvantages of her armor and was quick to unleash her rage on the brothers for being toyed with.

Anyone who tried to grab her by her armor on the battlefield would be quick to find their deaths at the wrong end of her weapon of choice.

Izuna was happy that his best friend was going to have that extra layer of defense on the battlefield but he could easily tell that his brother's happiness extended to something deeper than her added protection. While Sakura may have missed the satisfied stares and dazed smiles that Madara shot her when she wore her new battle gear, Izuna didn't. He easily noticed how his sibling's eyes lingered on the Uchiha clan crest emblazoned on the back of the shirt she was gifted with her armor.

Izuna was deeply amused by his brother's noticeable infatuation with the kunoichi. Nearly as amused as he had been when Madara had insisted on getting her sized for armor in the first place.

The young clan head knew it would be some time before they risked their prized medic on the battlefield. Although the kunoichi had proved herself numerous times and nearly stood at the level him and his brother did, he knew that they would have to be hard pressed to involve Sakura in a melee. Especially when her presence back at the village as their defender left them with a sense of comfort when they were gone.

It was easy for the younger Uchiha to figure out why Madara had insisted on getting her armor: it had been a way of bringing her closer to the clan and closer to him; as a way of envisioning her as a full member of their family. As a way of imagining her as his wife.

Honestly, Izuna found it to be adorable, a word that he had never thought he would one day associate with his battle driven, warlord of a brother.

While he may have thought this behavior was oddly endearing, it also brought with it a sense of confusion. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around why his brother hadn't yet asked to court Sakura. It was obvious he was in love with her and Izuna had given Madara his blessings. Even the majority of the clan adored her as well, nearly every member referring to her with the respectful honorific of 'Lady'.

Why was he playing these games then? Why hadn't he just asked her yet?

For the entirety of their spar that afternoon, these thoughts had plagued Izuna. Even by the time they had ended their three-way training session and Sakura had parted from them with a promise of something deep fried later that night, he found himself overwhelmingly curious.

After giving her their farewells, Sakura turning her back to them as she made her way back towards the village, Izuna sat down on one of the tree trunks that Sakura had bisected with her axe. Weary from the spar as well, Madara leaned against one of the few untouched trees in the new clearing where their training session had taken place.

As she strode passed the treeline she had demolished during their spar, the forest around them remodeled once again by their fight, Izuna looked over at his brother, noticing how he had yet to deactivate his sharingan. Instead, his brother watched Sakura walk away with half lidded eyes, his gaze lingering on the clan crest on her back, revealed as her low ponytail swung with her steps.

The young clan head watched silently for a few long moments, waiting for their medic to get out of earshot, before he bluntly asked, "Why haven't you asked to court her yet?"

Madara's eyes shot over to him in surprise, taken aback by the sudden question. He glanced back over at Sakura, noting how her pace hadn't faltered, before his irritated gaze returned to his younger brother.

"It's complicated," he answered gruffly with a frown, crossing his arms across his chest as his sharingan returned to inactivity.

"It's actually quite simple, brother. What's holding you back?"

Madara huffed in exasperation. "You know her."

"Yes, she's our atypically violent and belligerent miracle medic. Your point?" he retorted, leaning back on his hands.

"More than that. She's…" he paused, searching for the right words, "Her."

Izuna's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You're not making any sense…"

Madara stared off into the distance for a long moment before asking in a serious tone, "Do you really think she would bother sticking around once her contract is complete?"

"I haven't thought about it, honestly. I would assume so."

"She's the most incredible women I've ever met. From working independently for just a few shorts months, she made a name for herself. She has no need for us. She's just furthering her own agenda by using our library as part of our deal," he attempted to explain, melancholy coloring his tone.

"That may be why she came but I doubt she'll just up and leave once she's done reading every scroll we own," Izuna asserted, leaning forward and folding his hands in his lap.

"I believe she will… She's searching for something. I can't figure out what, but I suspect it has something to do with her old village."

"What makes you think that?"

"She's already read through more than half of the library."

Izuna's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? That's… impressive."

Silence reigned for a long moment, the air around them heavy with an emotion that felt suspiciously like grief.

When Madara spoke next, his voice was low and his tone was bleak. "She'll leave once she's done with the contract. She's searching for something and we don't have the answer she needs."

"And where will she go? Do you think she'll try to go to the Senju to search through their library?"

Madara's face betrayed his instant aggravation and his reply had a bite to it. "No, she's not an idiot. They would kill her for what she did the day we first met. But more than that, they would kill her for helping us."

"She's the most powerful healer in the world, _the only_ healer in the world who can heal other people. Do you really think they'd turn down her help if she offered it, especially for such a low price?" Izuna asked seriously, playing devil's advocate.

After all, where else would Sakura go if she left them? There was no greater supply of shinobi knowledge than with them. If she was searching for some answer that pertained to ninjutsu, her best bet would be with them. If they didn't have the answer she needed, then the only other place she could go to search would be with the Senju.

Madara grimaced, his irritated expression sharpening to one bordering on the edge of distress.

"She wouldn't betray us like that," he asserted heatedly.

"Then where would she go? Why would she abandon us? She's more than just our healer now. She belongs here, with us."

"She does. But she won't stay," the elder Uchiha muttered, closing his eyes for a long moment.

"She would if she became part of the clan." _She would if you asked her to marry you._

Madara just frowned deeply, his gaze becoming unfocused as he stared out at the destruction Sakura had left behind. Instead of replying, he pushed himself off of the tree and disappeared in a flash.

Izuna sighed deeply, dropping his head. He closed his eyes for a long moment, gathering himself, before he righted his head and stared off into the setting sun.

He could feel his brother's sorrows as if they were his own. More than anything, he hoped that his only remaining sibling, the person he loved most, could find some sort of happiness in their war torn world. The young Uchiha had thought that Madara could find that piece of happiness with Sakura but it appeared there was more to it than met the eye.

Izuna just wished that there was something he could do to help.

* * *

Walking around the inside of the open air aviary he had built near the home he shared with Izuna, Madara raked out the soiled litter from the base of the spacious pen. As he studiously worked to keep the space clean and clear of debris, his prized hawk perched on the leather pauldron he had crafted just for her. While he replaced her water bucket with a fresh pail, she preened his hair, warbling contentedly as she worked out whatever tangles she found.

For nearly a decade, Madara had raised his hawk which he had named Asuko. When he was only twelve years old and had first shown an interest in falconry, he had been gifted his own hawk in the form of a newly born hatchling. He had spent months raising the fuzzy creature, feeding her bits of ground up mouse meat and developing their bond. By the time she began to learn how to fly, she would never stray, always loyally returning back to him.

As he and Asuko grew, he had learned the craft from another falconer in the clan, a man who didn't fight in the battles as a shinobi but who instead hunted in the lands surrounding wherever they had hidden their village. Falconry was an art he took to with great enthusiasm and a practice he still enjoyed as an adult especially since it was time he got to spend with his much adored feathered companion.

Even as an adult and as the leader of his clan, he refused to allow anyone else to tend to his prized hawk, knowing that his continued interactions with Asuko only further cemented their bond. As if anyone else in his family would even come near the temperamental bird either way, a hawk known for nipping at people she found weren't worthy. Over the years, the only people she would tolerate being near her, let alone touching her or her aviary, were Izuna, their late mother, and himself.

Once Madara finally finished cleaning the inside of her pen, Asuko began to make excited warbling noises, happily chirping in his ear.

"Yes, you know what time it is, don't you?" he chuckled, "Go get on your perch."

With a gust of wind, she flew off of his shoulder, finding her favorite perch. Once settled, and as he went to grab the wooden bucket he had left near the door to her aviary for once he was finished cleaning, she impatiently moved from foot to foot, chirping at him loudly. Bringing the bucket in, he reached in with a glove hand and pulled out a piece of chopped deer.

"Ready?" he laughed, Asuko eagerly trilling in response.

When he tossed the bit of meat into the air, Asuko launched off of her perch, snatching her meal mid air before landing on another branch on the other side of her pen. She made quick work of the bit of meat, tearing it apart with her beak, before chirping at Madara once again, already ready for her next piece.

With a smile, Madara tossed the next piece, his feathered companion shooting off of her perch and snatching the next piece out of the air with trained skill. As he watched her tear apart the bit of meat, he sensed the sudden appearance of a familiar chakra nearby. Turning to face the approaching scout, Asuko did the same, her sharp eyes zeroing in on her unwanted guest.

"What's wrong?" Madara asked, noting the urgency in his rapidly approaching clan mate's expression.

"It's a message. A scout from one of our outposts brought it in. They say it's from one of our informants in the east and that it was vital that it got to you immediately," the young man replied as he approached the aviary with a scroll in hand. His eyes drifted to the leery hawk with uncertainty before he cleared his throat, choosing to carefully hand Madara the message through one of the slots in the fence.

"Thank you for bringing this to me so quickly," he answered, immediately opening the scroll.

"Of course. I'll return to my post," the young Uchiha replied.

Madara nodded once in dismissal before the scout disappeared in a flash, returning into the forest surrounding their home. Rapidly reading the text within the scroll, his eyebrows furrowed at the message within. Troubled by the information that had been sent to him, he frowned deeply and rolled the scroll back into its protective case.

"I'm sorry, Asuko. It looks like I have to go for now," he sighed, tucking the scroll into the pouch on his hip.

Asuko looked out at him silently, her gaze soundlessly expressing her upset.

"Yes, I know, I'll take you out to fly soon. But for now, I brought you something special," Madara apologized, reaching into the bucket to pull out a dead rabbit.

The hawk perked up immediately as her sharp gaze snapped to her fresh meal and, when Madara tossed it into the air for her to catch, she snatched it from the air with lightning speed. Finding a new perch to tuck into her heavy meal, she happily tore into her dinner with her sharp beak.

With Asuko sufficiently distracted, he exited her aviary, locking the fence behind him and turning to head to his home where he knew Izuna was going through mission requests. Slipping off his shoes, he entered through one of the open engawa lining their home, and easily found Izuna in his office.

His brother sat in front of a low table, hunched over a neatly arranged pile of letters and scrolls. With the winter months having finally died down, they were getting the surge of requests they got every year. The Senju always got more active when the cold finally abated. The clan was very much like the forest they named themselves after: inactive in the winter yet lively in the spring and summer.

As Madara entered, Izuna's eyes flicked away from the open scroll in his hands and over to him, his eyebrows coming together when noticed the look in Madara's eyes.

"We received a message from one of our informants in the east," Madara explained, not bothering with pleasantries.

"What was it?" Izuna asked, returning his scroll to the pile before him.

"Toka has returned," Madara replied simply, Izuna's eyes widening in surprise.

"Are they certain?"

"She and her regiment were spotted returning from the Uzumaki's island by boat last week," he detailed, "It appears her contingent has grown significantly since her departure. Undoubtedly reinforcements from the Uzumaki."

"Then it appears spring is finally upon us…" Izuna sighed before his gaze hardened, "We need to prepare. With her return, the Senju will be much bolder. And if they have Uzumaki soldiers to bolster their forces, I would wager they are already planning an assault."

"Undoubtedly," Madara returned, "We need to summon scoutmaster Haia and have her double the shinobi who patrol the village. We will need to reinforce the genjutsu barriers immensely as well if the Senju's genjutsu specialist is back in their ranks."

"Agreed. Let's go now, the Senju could already be on the move," Izuna replied, rising to his feet and following Madara.

As they quickly dawned their shoes and rushed out into the forest to search for their scoutmaster, Madara's thoughts became distracted. With the sudden reappearance of Toka Senju, he was reminded of the conversation that him and Izuna had had a few days previous; of Sakura's hidden quest and whatever knowledge it was that she searched for.

The entire reason that Sakura had agreed to become their medic hadn't been due to a loyalty to them or a hatred of the Senju like so many of their other allies. Instead, it had been to continue her search for whatever answer it was she pursued. Although she did studiously work to advance her healing techniques, making good on the reasoning that she had given when she first joined them, over the months that he spent in her company, Madara had learned that she searched for something more.

If his family didn't have the knowledge she searched for… would she leave them to go to the Senju to resume her mission?

No… She would never betray them like that…

Would she?

* * *

 _A/N:_ _Asuko, the name of Madara's hawk (who will be seen again), is comprised of two syllables. "Asu" means "to fly" while "Ko" means "child". Essentially, Madara named her such because she is his flying baby bird daughter. While none in the clan bring up Madara's name for his hawk (which he has had since he was a preteen), they all think it is adorable._

 _Manchira, the name of the blacksmith, is a kind of armored vest with additional protective layers of either kusari (chain armor), kikko (brigandine), and/or karuto (armor plates). Haia, the name of the Uchiha scout master, means "nimble" or "quick". This is because she is one of the fastest members of the clan, on par with Izuna and Madara. It is because of her speed, stealth, and intelligence that she earned her place as the scout master and functions as the first line of defense for their village._ _A wakizashi is a sword often used in conjunction with a katana. It is shorter than a katana but longer than a tanto. When used with a katana, they are called daisho (which literally means "big-little")._


	23. Senju

_A/N: This chapter used to be part of the one previous but it made the chapter too long for my tastes. As the story progresses (especially since it will be so long), there will be a few minor alterations such as these as I make adjustments. If you're already caught up, please proceed to the next chapter (unless you want to read the battle with the Senju again, of course!)_

* * *

For the last few days, Sakura had felt like something was off. While little had changed in her actual day to day life, the atmosphere of the village had somehow changed. When she treated the few patients who came in, when she interacted with the others in the clan, and even when she was sparring with Madara and Izuna, it felt as if something was wrong.

It felt as if everyone was waiting for something and the thought had left her on edge for the past few nights.

It was only after she had gotten up that morning and after she had settled down for breakfast that her suspicions had become a reality.

She was interrupted halfway through her meal by a series of urgent knocks on her door. Quickly making her way to her front door, she was met by a frantic messenger already fully dressed in armor and with his weapon strapped to his side.

"Lady Sakura, you're being summoned. There's been an attack and you're needed on the front," the man quickly explained.

"An attack?" she parroted, shocked, "What happened? Where are the injured?"

"A battalion of Senju have infiltrated the outer perimeter of genjutsu and a number of scouts have already been killed. The injured have already made their way back but you're needed for the war party."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed as a frown tugged at the corners of her lips. "What do you mean I'm needed for the war party? I need to tend to the injured."

"There isn't enough time. We're gathering in the center of the village. Please hurry," the messenger replied hastily before turning to leave, jogging towards the heart of the village.

As Sakura watched the young Uchiha leave, anxiety began to build within her. Despite having lived with the Uchiha for nearly a year and despite her strength as a fighter, she had yet to be involved in one of the melees with the clan. Instead, she had always been asked to remain behind at the village not just because she was their healer but because she was needed to protect their home in their absence.

To hear that she was being summoned to join the war parties made her worry about how deadly this coming battle was going to be.

Sakura was quick to dawn her battle attire, slipping on a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt emblazoned with the Uchiha clan crest before strapping on her gifted armor. She grabbed her newest storage scroll, a fairly large scroll which carried her axe and a number of other ninja tools and medical supplies that could be useful for battle, and secured it to the small of her back. Finally, she tied her long hair back into a low ponytail to keep her hair out of her face during whatever battle awaited her.

As she rushed out the door, making her way to the center of the village, her anxiety continued to grow. The last thing she wanted was to be involved with another conflict with the Senju clan. She had already had too many confrontations with various clans during this time and another battle with one of the clans which would one day form her future home left her stomach roiling.

When she drew closer to the heart of the village, she was shocked by the sheer quantity of shinobi already waiting. Easily five dozen Uchiha men and women stood gathered around Madara and Izuna, the elder brother roaring out directions and strategies for the coming battle to the various squadrons of specialists in their small army. Sakura had never seen such a large force gathered and found her apprehension growing even further as she wondered what sort of battle laid ahead.

Making her way through the crowd of people who readily stepped aside for her, she approached Izuna. Turning to face her with an indifferent expression on his face, Izuna greeted her with a curt nod.

"What's happening?" Sakura asked simply, forcing her expression to not reflect her inner conflict.

"An army of Senju are launching an attack. They already broke through our genjutsu traps, likely due to Toka Senju, and they are getting too close to the village. It appears that Hashirama is among the force but, even worse, that bastard Tobirama is with them," Izuna explained, his harmonic expression making way for a deep scowl at the mention of Tobirama, "He is too skilled a sensor to have so close to the village. We need to maintain the secrecy of our location so we are going out to meet them for their fight."

At the mention of both Hashirama and Tobirama, Sakura's anxiety flared hotly, rapidly morphing into panic within her. She could not go into a battle against the future First and Second Hokages. Her presence on such a battlefield was too much of a danger to her future village. Desperate for any reason to avoid being forced into a conflict against a Senju force being lead by the future Hokages, she racked her mind for an excuse to stay behind.

"Wouldn't it be better if I stayed behind to defend the village then? Is it a good idea for all three of us to leave with this massive force? What if some of their army breaks off to attack the village?" she tried, her dismay and alarm leaking into her tone despite her attempts to conceal it.

Izuna's expression softened at her words, misinterpreting her anxiety as being dread at having to face the Senju once again after her massacre of their strike force nearly a year previous.

"We need you in the coming battle since Hashirama, Tobirama, and Toka are in their main force. We need you at the front of the forces with me and Madara. Haia has drawn back the scouts to defend our home but, as long as those three are out there, the village will be safe," he explained as gently as one could in the heart of a war party.

"I…" she tried again, frantically searching for any reason not to be drawn into this battle.

Sensing her apprehension, Izuna leaned in close to speak quietly, "I understand that this will be a trying battle for you but we wouldn't ask you to come if it wasn't an emergency. Not only are you the most powerful woman I've ever met but we will be by your side. We will turn them back and we will protect our family."

Sakura frowned deeply, looking off to the side. She closed her eyes for a long moment, fighting back the anxiety that heavily lingered in her chest. Even if her presence on this battlefield could alter the future… how could she say no to protecting those she had come to love? How could she abandon them in the face of such a deadly force?

Looking back to the man she had come to consider her closest friend, she nodded sharply. Izuna smiled in return, patting her on the shoulder.

"With you on our side, we have nothing but victory to await us," Izuna states proudly, his words doing little to quell the maelstrom within her.

"It's time to move out! Stick to your formations and do not challenge any shinobi above your skill level! And remember: give me, Hashirama, and Sakura a wide berth on the battlefield!" Madara's voice boomed, giving the final directions to the small army that surrounded them, "Let's move!"

With an ease that came from moving as an army for years, the Uchiha all began their sprint into the trees. Chasing after the clan heads in distinct units and formations, the army began their rapid march towards the Senju forces and the coming battle. Sakura fell in to the somehow surreal feeling sprint, following the clan crests on Madara and Izuna's backs.

As they ran, Madara turned to look behind him, momentarily meeting Sakura's eyes. There was a moment of silent communication between them, the look in his eyes asking if she was okay and if she was ready for the battle against the Senju. Sakura nodded resolutely in response to his silent question and concern, drawing a smile from him before he faced forward once again.

While they ran, Sakura could not abate the panic within her, the ever lingering fear of how her presence during this time was affecting the future. She had never dreamed that she would one day be in the position she was now when she first found herself in the past. She had once promised herself to make as little a difference in the future as she could, she had promised herself to avoid the clans and here she was battling one while in the army of another.

How much had her time her affected the future already? Had it at all or was the course of reality set in stone no matter her blundering? She wondered if her influence on the reality she was in now would lead to a future she didn't recognize.

Would this upcoming battle lead to the death of Hashirama or Tobirama, the First and Second Hokages? Would she be the one forced to strike them down? Could she even? Even worse, would this battle lead to the death of Madara or Izuna?

Would this battle lead to her own death as the course of reality finally righted itself and got rid of the interloper in this time?

Shaking her head, Sakura forced herself to focus on the task at hand and not her rapidly escalating thoughts. She had little time to once again agonize over her continued existence in this time. She had no time to continue to torment herself with thoughts of what could and couldn't be; not when she was about to be involved in what could easily become one of the deadliest melees of her life. Not when there were people she loved who looked to her for comradery and protection.

No matter what happened, no matter what actions she took and how they affected the future, she would never allow someone she loved to be hurt.

She would die first.

Hardening her resolve, Sakura continued in their sprint through the forest, following closely behind Madara and Izuna who lead the team deeper and deeper into the thick treeline. They sprinted over familiar creeks and rivers, rushed along an easily recognizable mountain range, and ran through well-known woodlands - some of which still bore the scars from her spars with the brothers. When they finally began to slow and emerged from the treeline, the branches they stood in overlooked a cliff face which dropped into a spacious plain beneath them.

When the small army that awaited them finally came into view, Sakura's eyes widened. From her bird's eye perch, it was easy to see the numerous people that the Senju had brought in their own army. A sea of green and gray armor stood below them, a few splashes of blue mixed in, their fighting force easily matching if not outnumbering their own.

Even from this distance, it was easy to sense the waves of malicious chakra roiling off of every last member. Easier still was it to sense the alarmingly powerful chakra of the three fighters who stood at the head of the Senju forces.

Hashirama, Tobirama, and Toka waited for them.

Sakura felt as the eyes of those below lingered on her, their combined animosity washing over her in a wave that made her stomach roll. In that moment, she knew that they already knew who she was; that she was the one who had killed their family members all those months ago.

She could feel their bloodlust like a kunai was being held to her throat.

For a moment, the world stood still around her. The forest was silent around them, not a single shinobi speaking and not even the sound of animals filling the air. It was as if the woodlands themselves could sense the destruction that was about to take place and held its breath as it waited.

The calm was finally broken by a familiar yet far more ruthless battle cry rending the air.

"Hashiramaaa!" Madara roared as he ran through hand signs nearly too fast to see, immediately summoning fourth great balls of flame which hung in the air above the force of Uchiha.

As the fireballs began to rain down on the enemies below them, the cries of the Uchiha and the Senju together boomed through the battlefield, the Uchiha launching themselves down the cliff face to meet the charging Senju. Sakura rushed in with them, her heart pounding in her ears and her breath already coming fast as she faced down an army before her.

Tobirama and a dozen other water jutsu users summoned water dragons, Tobirama's own dragon dwarfing all of the others in its sheer size and power. The jutsus shot upwards into the sky to meet the majority of the fireballs that rained down on the heart of the Senju forces, some of the fireballs overpowering the water and hitting the ground in great explosions of fire and earth. The fireballs that were overcome rained boiling hot water and steam down onto the battlefield, cries of pain already echoing across the front line.

Sakura ran alongside Madara and Izuna at the head of the charge, her eyes snapping across the combatants rushing towards her. Her gaze fell upon Hashirama and Tobirama at the front of the Senju army, the two already forming handsigns as they ran. Massive roots erupted from the ground to tangle and crush those who ran forward alongside jets of water so pressurized that they both cut through the earth and the fighters behind her that couldn't dodge the attack.

With a burst of speed, Madara leapt over the colossal roots to meet Hashirama at the other side, the two rapidly trading blows as the armies split apart to give the heavy hitters a wide berth. Izuna, easily ducking beneath Tobirama's deadly jutsu, descended upon him with his katana, the two meeting with the clang of metal as Tobirama drew his own weapon.

Forcing her attention away from the clan leaders, her eyes snapped forward and locked gazes with a dark haired woman in gray armor, her bangs hanging to cover one side of her face. The woman smiled, the corners of her brightly painted lips pulling upwards, as she sprinted headlong towards Sakura, one of her hands reaching up to draw a katana from one of the sheaths strapped to her back.

Sakura didn't recognize her face but she could easily sense the powerful chakra emanating off of her as they rushed towards one another. If this was the woman she thought she was, she was facing down the genjutsu master and kunoichi legend Toka Senju. If she wanted her friends to survive - if she wanted to survive - she could not go easy on her.

Even so, she did not want to have to kill her...

As they finally met, Toka's bearing down upon her with her katana, Sakura slid beneath her charge. Whipping around to face her, she was forced to duck beneath Toka's backslash, the blade of her weapon cutting a few of the longer hairs from the top of her head. Bolting forward, she attempted to land a chakra fueled punch to her exposed middle but the Senju shot backwards, evading her strike as if she already know the strength behind Sakura's blows.

Toka descended upon her with a flurry of strikes, forcing Sakura backwards as she dodged a succession of slices and strikes that make her thankful for Izuna's ruthlessness in their spars. Evading her rapid blows, Sakura attempted to sneak through her guard, throwing a series of punches and kicks that caused shockwaves to ripple through the air around them. Toka's hair was blown out of her face as she skillfully skirted around Sakura's strikes, only further revealed the thrilled expression on her face.

As they fought, Uchiha and Senju clashed around them in an explosion of metal against metal and jutsu so powerful that the heavy sensation of burnt chakra lingered in the air. Fire and water met in explosions of steam and boiling water. Blades of wind and bolts of lightning rent the air around them with the sound of thunder and gale force winds. The earth blew apart around their feet, forcing them to not only evade each others' blows but the chaos around them.

Leaping backwards to avoid not only a slash from Toka but also a stray lightning jutsu, Sakura used the space between to launch herself back at her foe. Front flipping towards her, the elder woman shot backwards just in time to avoid her axe kick. When Sakura's chakra fueled kick hit the ground, the land rumbled beneath her strike, the earth trembling beneath her as she landed back on her feet.

Instead of rushing forward once again, Toka stayed back, gazing at her with a critical eye. Not letting down her guard, Sakura stared back, silently waiting for her next opportunity to strike.

The heat of the fires and the steam around them made her sweat beneath her armor while the rapidly building smoke from the burning landscape made her eyes burn. The sound of the battle surrounded her, cries of pain and victory filling the air and distracting her with her want to help her injured companions. Blood already stained the ground everywhere around her, corpses slowly building as the battles continued ceaselessly.

Sakura could see Madara and Hashirama battling a great distance away, the two powerhouses having separated themselves from the main force to avoid hurting their comrades with their widespread jutsu. She watched in amazement as Madara incinerated a massive wood dragon that barreled down from the sky, the now flaming dragon emerging from the opposite end of his jutsu. While the dragon slammed into the ground Madara once occupied, bursting open into an eruption of earth, splinters, and charcoal, Madara ran up it's spine, confronting Hashirama at it's tail where they met in a flurry of blades.

Sakura was surprised when Toka chuckled, her eyes snapping back to the Senju and away from the battle behind the elder woman.

"It can be impressive, watching them go at it, hm?" she stated, amusement in her tone.

"It is," Sakura admitted, having nothing to hide from her foe.

"I'll admit I've heard quite a lot of incredible things about you since I've been back, Lady Sakura," Toka called out, shocking Sakura with the respect in her voice.

"If you're the woman I think you are, that is quite a compliment," she returned as the battle raged on around them.

Toka smirked in response.

"Then as one kunoichi to another, you have my respect. Although I expect the same from you!" she yelled out as she drew a wakizashi from the second sheath on her back, this second blade shorter than her katana but no less dangerous in her hands, "Now stop holding back and show me that those rumors are true!"

Toka clanged her two swords together, the sound of metal on metal sounding somehow distorted. It echoed around Sakura like the sound of a tuning fork, the sound rapidly becoming louder and louder until her ears stung. As her hearing was overwhelmed by the air splitting noise, her vision began to shake, shapes and colors trembling until nothing around her made sense.

It took Sakura a heartbeat to realize that she had been caught in an expertly cast genjutsu and only a heartbeat more to rapidly alter the flow of chakra in her body, shattering the jutsu. The loss of the shrieking sound of metal and the return of the battlefield around her was jarring but not enough for her to overlook Toka bearing down on her with her dual weapons.

As she descended upon her, Sakura shot out both of her arms, blocking Toka's strikes and opening up her middle. The Senju looked shocked for a moment, as if surprised her genjutsu had been broken so quickly, before Sakura thrust out with her palm. Her strike hit the woman square in the chest, launching her backwards. She rolled once to regain her footing before she skidded to a stop, coughing up a mouthful of blood before her gaze snapped back to Sakura.

"Now there's a glimpse of that legendary strength I heard of! Well done, Lady Sakura! I can't tell you how excited I am to face a woman of your power!" Toka cried out excitedly, the blood trickling from her mouth matching the lipstick decorating her widely smiling lips.

Toka shot forward, unconcerned with her injuries, and the two met once again in a whirlwind of strikes. Sakura found herself needing more and more of her chakra to fuel her strength and her speed as Toka descended upon her much more quickly and far more aggressively than before. She rapidly skirted around her blows while blocking others until one of the Senju's strikes finally finding purchase on Sakura's skin and tore open a gash on her arm.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she forced chakra into the wound, healing the profusely bleeding cut as she continued to skirt around her relentless attacks. Landing another blow, Toka slashed open Sakura's thigh before forcing her to back flip out of the way of a particularly deadly combination of strikes.

While she was midair, already working to heal the gash on her leg, she caught sight of Izuna and Tobirama's battle behind her. A battle where Izuna was knocked to the ground, his weapon clattering away, before Tobirama beared down upon him with his own katana.

"I have you now, you filth!" she heard Tobirama howl, his words making her heart stop in her chest.

A sudden silence within her that was immediately filled with panic and rage.

"Enough!" Sakura screamed as she completed her flip, forcing a massive burst of chakra into her feet as she came down.

When she landed, the earth opened up beneath her with a deafening roar of stone on stone before dirt and rock exploded around her. The ground sunk beneath her feet, crushing downwards and forming a crater beneath her that spanned a hundred feet. An earthquake spanned the entire field as the ground beneath everyone's feet cracked apart, jagged shards of rock and crumbling boulders shooting upwards around them. Many of the shinobi around her, Senju and Uchiha alike, lost their footing on the rapidly shifting earth, some falling into the crater and others breaking apart from their fights to avoid being crushed.

Using the rising cloud of dust and the explosion of noise and earth as cover, Sakura shot out of the crater, rushing towards a still downed Izuna. Even with the battlefield around them having been turned to ruins with her strike, Tobirama had regained his footing, intending to still take advantage of his enemy's downed state.

Toka, having maintained her foothold during Sakura's attack and using the makeshift pillars of stone she had created in the chaos of her kick, rapidly launched herself towards Sakura. Sensing Toka's forceful chakra coming down from above and unwilling to waste even a second she needed to save Izuna, Sakura timed her strike perfectly, whipping around at the last moment.

Her chakra powered kick hit Toka's sword first, shattering the weapon, before slamming into her side and throwing her into a nearby boulder with enough strength that the sound of her hitting the unearthed stone was heard over the roar of confusion and still shifting earth. Completing her spin, Sakura pushed off against the ground, her feet leaving indents in the solid rock as she launched herself forward.

As Sakura charged at Tobirama, the Senju already swinging down on Izuna with his katana, his eyes snapped over to meet hers. As she barreled down on him, her lips pulled over her teeth in a snarl, he attempted to redirect his attack to instead meet her assault. Flooding both of her hands with chakra, Sakura used one palm to parry his blow, her hand sliding along his blade to redirect it as she slipped beneath his guard and struck out with her fist.

Her punch met Tobirama's middle, the breath immediately being knocked out of him before the force of her strike launched him backwards. He tumbled across the jagged battlefield before slamming into a group of Senju who had just regained their footing on the finally settling landscape.

Sakura stopped behind Izuna, her gaze only snapping down for a moment to make sure he was alive before returning to Tobirama in front of her. As she knelt down, her hands already glowing with healing chakra to tend to Izuna's broken arm and the lacerations on his body, she watched as the Senju forced himself to his feet.

Tobirama's shattered armor fell to pieces, the broken metal plating falling off of his body and littering the ground around him as he clutched his middle. Even through the agony in his expression, he met her stare with a venomous glare, Sakura's gaze hardening with the silent threat in her eyes.

She failed to notice how the battle around them had stopped, both Senju and Uchiha alike staring at her with looks of awe, fear, pride, and horror.

"I'm fine, Sakura, I didn't need your help," Izuna growled from below her although he accepted her healing, still struggling to catch his breath through what she can sense were broken ribs.

She only tore her hands away from her healing when Tobirama took a threatening step forward, intent on taking her on to take back his would be kill. Ripping her scroll from her back, she let it fly open in her hands, revealing the largest seal at the beginning of the paper. In one smooth motion, she gathered chakra into her hand and slid it across the seal, a burst of smoke erupting from the paper.

When the smoke cleared, her axe was revealed, her scroll falling to the ground, unneeded, as she settled her massive weapon onto her shoulder. Standing protectively above Izuna, she waited for Tobirama's attack.

Second Hokage or not, she would not allow him to harm Izuna.

Just as the Senju prepared to rush forward, a deep scowl marring his features, he was stopped by Toka who roughly grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Get off of me!" he growled, slapping her hand away.

"Look around you!" Toka yelled back, blood spilling from her mouth and her trembling hand cradling her injured side.

At her demand, Tobirama's eyes snapped to the carnage around them, finally taking in the destruction that surrounded them. The annihilated battlefield, the shaken warriors, and, most importantly, the look in Sakura's eyes.

As Tobirama's gaze returned to her, a new understanding in his eyes, there was a flash of movement next to him. Hashirama appeared at his side, the elder Senju burnt and bruised but in far better condition that either of his clanmates who had bore the brunt of Sakura's fury. His eyes snapped from Tobirama to Toka before finally flicking across the battlefield to Sakura.

He stared at her for a long moment, his expression calculating but somehow bearing no animosity, and she met his stare, unwavering. No matter what happened on this battleground, she would not let anyone touch Izuna.

No one.

Sakura felt as the heavy presence of Madara appeared beside her although she refused to separate her eyes from the Senju in front of her. Izuna, fighting against the pain of his injuries, struggled to his feet, standing at her side as well. Despite the injuries he had sustained, malice still emanated from him in a wave that was palpable even to her.

A few heartbeats passed between the group, the standoff silent and the air heavy around them, before Hashirama finally broke the silence and yelled out, "That's enough! Everyone, fall back!"

Tobirama looked over to his brother with a look of betrayal before scowling deeply. He met Sakura's eyes once again from across the field, her hand tightening around the handle of her axe. Scoffing loudly, he finally looked away, disappearing in a flash of movement with Hashirama and Toka.

The rest of the Senju forces followed closely behind.

* * *

Madara watched Sakura as they returned to Uchiha lands, the rest of his army following behind as they ran through the forest. Despite having faced down Toka and despite having directly confronted Tobirama, two of the most powerful shinobi in the world, she remained strong. She hadn't even used a fraction of her strength in that battle yet she had grievously injured both of the Senju.

Even more than that, she had saved Izuna's life.

He was overcome with affection for her for having defended his brother when he couldn't. He was overcome with awe by how incredible she had looked on the battlefield, the goddess of war he had once seen when they first met emerging once again in all of her glory. The image of her protectively standing above his brother, his gift to her perched atop her shoulders and his family's armor proudly hanging on her body, as she stared down Tobirama would be forever emblazoned upon his mind.

Sakura was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

As they returned home, Madara realized that the battle had helped clear his concern of her leaving them for the Senju. She had fought back Toka, one of the strongest members of the Senju clan and one of the most deadly shinobi in the world. She had defended Izuna from Tobirama, a shinobi nearly on par with him and Hashirama. She had protected his family even though she had risked her life to do so.

Of course she wouldn't betray them.

She never would.

* * *

After the tactical withdrawal he had been forced to enact following the shocking destruction and injuries caused by the pink haired kunoichi, Hashirama and the rest of his clan had retreated back to their lands.

With the return of his cousin Toka from her yearly diplomatic mission to his wife's village of Uzushiogakure, with the Uzumaki reinforcements that she had brought with her, and with the information hinting at the location of the Uchiha's village, Hashirama had been certain that this battle would finally mark the conclusion of their endless war. He had been certain that he would finally be able to force the Uchiha into surrender and put an end to their centuries long war with one another. He had hoped he would finally be able to work out an armistice with the man he once considered his closest friend.

He had not counted on the rumors of the Angel of Kiso being true and he hadn't never even considered that the kunoichi legend had sided with the Uchiha.

Troubled yet curious, Hashirama found himself in a debrief with Tobirama, Toka, and Mito as they discussed the appearance of the mysterious Uchiha healer.

Toka leaned back against one end of the table between them, her chest wrapped tightly and her open top loosely hanging from her shoulders as she smoked from a pipe. Tobirama sat at his side and, although his closed shirt hid the wound and the bandages that tended to it, he still held his hand over the injury delivered onto him from the Uchiha medic. Mito sat at his opposite side, sipping at a cup of tea while he himself drank something a bit harder.

"I'm happy to find the rumors were true. I can see why the Fuma despise her so much," Toka chuckled, taking a pull off of her pipe.

"You're remarkably cheerful about the Uchiha having gained such a powerful ally," Tobirama grumbled, scowling as smoke drifted towards him before blowing outside through the open fusuma, "Aren't you upset she shattered your sword _and_ your rib cage?"

"Hardly. You two have your own little rivals, perhaps I was a little jealous?" she laughed, "Besides. I'm always happy to battle against such strong women. I was beginning to suspect it was just Mito and myself who held the titles of the most powerful kunoichi. I'm excited to be proven wrong."

"I'm more curious as to where she came from," Hashirama mused, pouring himself a dish from his carafe of sake, "I've never met a person with pink hair before. Perhaps she is somehow related to the Uzumaki?"

"There were a handful of people with pink hair who lived in Uzushiogakure. Such a coloration is not so unheard of in the islands to the east. Perhaps she hails from somewhere near my old village?" Mito supplied, gazing into her cup of matcha thoughtfully.

"Are there any ninja clans who were known for such features?" Hashirama asked before taking a deep drink from his sake.

"None that I had seen, no. The few pink haired families who I had met during my diplomatic missions around the surrounding islands survived by fishing in the open ocean. While none of them were shinobi, they were adept fishers and sailors."

"She could still be from there. Perhaps she defected from Uzushiogakure and joined another clan to hone her skills?" Toka wondered aloud.

"I would suspect it would be more likely that she is the daughter of someone who left long ago if she is from the island at all. I have no memory of recent traitors from my village aside from Akane. More likely still would be she is related to those who lived on the coast."

"That stranger certainly was quite powerful either way. And I suspect we were only given a glimpse of a fraction of her strength during our battle today." Tobirama grumbled, absentmindedly touching the wound on his stomach.

"Ohhh, you have a crush on the Uchiha's mysterious medic, don't you?" Hashirama teased playfully as he attempted to lighten the mood, drawing a snort of amusement from Toka.

"Certainly not!" he barked back.

"That would likely be the only way a woman could get through to him: punching him across a battlefield," Toka taunted.

"That seals it then. You should confess your feelings next time we're on the battlefield," Hashirama continued, "It would be romantic!"

"You're both idiots! Why aren't you taking this seriously!?" Tobirama scolded loudly, glaring at them both, "The rumors of that woman at Kiso were true, that kunoichi can _heal_ others and she's sided with the Uchiha! You need to realize the gravity of this situation!"

"I'm fully aware, brother. Yelling about it won't get us anywhere closer to the answer," Hashirama pouted in response, Toka rubbing her ear dramatically and raising an eyebrow at her cousin.

Tobirama scoffed in response although he lowered his voice.

"It explains why all of the Uchiha who suffered fatal wounds during our battles this past year returned to fight again," he growled, "If it wasn't for that woman, I would have struck down that scum Izuna earlier."

Hashirama frowned deeply as the silence stretched between them, the only sound being Toka taking another drag from her pipe.

"I wonder how she figured it out…" he finally spoke, voicing what he had been thinking ever since he first heard rumors of her healing jutsu, "I've tried for years to extend my regenerative abilities to others but I never discovered how. Perhaps it's a bloodline trait from a clan we've yet to meet?"

"She could be from lands we simply haven't seen yet. Our continent is far from mapped out after all, considering the conflicts any cartographer would have to brave to accomplish such a task." Mito commented thoughtfully.

"A bit more of a comforting thought than her being a runaway from Uzushiogakure," Toka tacked on.

"What is she's one of ours?" Tobirama asked gravely.

"One of ours? You mean you think she could be a Senju?" Toka asked seriously, a thread of disbelief in her tone.

The silence from before returned once again although this time, it was heavy with the weight of his proposition. To suggest this woman was a runaway Uzumaki was one thing but to suggest that she was a traitor to their clan of the utmost caliber? That she was a Senju who had turned her back so wholly on the clan that she had joined their worst enemy?

Hashirama laughed, dispelling the dark weight of the room, "Don't give me a scare like that! That would be ridiculous. She doesn't look anything like us."

"Well neither did mother and neither do I. It's not such a ridiculous theory. We could be dealing with the child of some traitor. What if her massacre of the strike force that was sent to eradicate Akane and the Nakano was due to some vengeful agenda? What if she's sided with the Uchiha in some ploy to destroy our clan?"

"That could be why she has a healing ability so similar to Hashirama's. She just might have been able to figure out how to extend it to others like you can't," Toka added, a deathly seriousness to her voice, "That could mean a lot of death in our futures if she has your wood style as well."

"You're both so dramatic…" Hashirama huffed, "We know of every deserter to our family over the past hundred years and none of them are young or old enough to have a child her age. You're grasping at straws here and I won't have us treating a stranger like a Senju traitor just because she has this healing ability."

"You _know_ that we can't account for even half of our family. We never had any bloodline traits to sequester away like the Uchiha did… until you. She could easily be the bastard child of some Senju shinobi who deigned it unnecessary to bring his lover into the fold," Tobirama argued.

"That would explain her massacre at the Nakano's holdings," Toka theorized, "She could have a grudge against our family because she was abandoned by her father. Or worse."

"Hashirama is right. We can't treat this stranger like some sort of traitor or illegitimate Senju child," Mito interjected firmly, her tone brokering no argument, "I understand you are both worried with her sudden appearance in a battle against you and her unusual jutsu but we need to keep a level head."

Toka sighed, already dropping the subject at her matriarch's assertion as she leaned back and tried to take another drag from her pipe. Dissatisfied that the ember lighting her tobacco had already gone out, she frowned at the bowl of ashes before tapping it out. Tobirama simply grimaced, remaining silent although Hashirama could still see his thoughts playing out on his face.

"All we can do now is try to gather more information." Mito concluded simply before taking another drink from her matcha.

* * *

 _A/N: Although Hashirama is sometimes regarded as "The Father of Medical Ninjutsu", he is never once shown healing another person. Instead, I think he simply had an incredible regenerative power due to his wood style. Tsunade is the one who is both credited with the creation of the official Medical Corps in Konoha and who developed actual healing jutsu to points never before seen (something she passed on to Sakura who has taken it even farther)._

 _Toka only has one brief still frame in both the anime and the manga (volume 43, page 176 and episode 140 of Shippuden) but of course that was enough for me to be like "I love her". She gets a bit more of a back story in the official character book where it's revealed she was 27 and where she was given the summary: "A Senju clan kunoichi. One of Hashirama's aides. She is skilled in genjutsu and her powers are well known in other countries." Needless to say, she will be getting far more attention in this story than in canon._


	24. Ryo For Your Thoughts

_A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! This is my valentine to all of you! I hope you all have a lovely day today._

 _As a side note, you'll notice how I published two chapters this time around. The first chapter is just me splitting up the previous chapter into two separate chapters. It felt far too long for me but I wanted everyone to get to read the battle with the Senju already, haha. As the story progresses (especially since it will be so long), there will be a few changes like that as I make adjustments._

* * *

As Sakura walked down one of the many pathways that spiderwebbed across the village, making her way to the head household, she found herself the subject of attention of every Uchiha she passed.

While Sakura had long since accepted that her presence in the Uchiha village was one that gathered attention from the others simply due to her outsider nature and her place as their hired miracle healer, the attention she received after having finally fought in a battle with them caught her by surprise. Some she shared friendly waves with as she passed by while others went as far as to pat her on the back or shake her hand, praising her on her fighting prowess during the battle the day before. She found herself at the receiving end of compliments about her strength, her skill, and her bravery in confronting two of the most powerful warriors in the Senju clan.

While she was caught off guard by the sudden fierce comradery, what took her by surprise the most during this short trek was when a boy who couldn't have been older than three ran up to her, latching onto her leg with all of his might.

"Thank you, t-thank you," he blubbered through heavy tears and hiccups.

"I, um… a-are you okay?" Sakura asked gently, hesitantly patting the head of the young Uchiha sobbing into her skirts, his tiny hands fisted in the fabric of her yukata.

"I am very sorry, Lady Sakura!" a young man with bandages wrapped around his head and covering one of his eyes apologized as he ran up.

"Is everything alright?" she questioned, confused, as the man gathered the sobbing child up into his arms.

"Yes, everything is fine! He just... he's been a little emotional as of late," he replied, rubbing his hand up and down the back of the boy who now clung to him and cried into his neck.

"He was… thanking me? I don't understand," Sakura continued, her eyebrows pinched in confusion as her gaze dipped down to the youngest Uchiha.

"Ah, yes, he…" the man struggled for a moment as if searching for the right thing to say, "He's simply grateful. His mother passed in the Battle of Biei last year and I've been taking care of him since. My little cousin here has grown quite attached and he was distraught when he found out I was injured in the battle against the Senju yesterday."

"You're still injured?" she asked, her eyes flicking up to the bandage wrapped around his head, "I didn't see you following the conclusion of the battle with everyone else who was hurt..."

"I was… embarrassed. I only survived because your attack, the one that tore open the ground like an explosion, gave me the opening I needed to regain the upper hand in my battle. I didn't want to trouble you any further... although _he_ seemed to find no qualms in expressing his gratitude," he replied, giving his young cousin a half hearted glare.

"I'm happy that I was able to help but I don't want you to feel as if you can't come to see me for medical attention for any reason. I'm the healer for your family so that means I'm your healer. Whenever you're injured, I need you to come see me," Sakura asserted, the Uchiha looking up at her with a surprised expression.

Clearing his throat and looking away, the man replied, "I could always come by your clinic later today if that would… help settle your nerves."

Sakura smirked at the man's response, having lived with the Uchiha long enough to hear the grateful undertone of his roundabout acceptance. "It would. And please don't hesitate to come see me in the future."

"Of course. I will drop by when I'm finished with my duties for today," he replied, a sheepish smile slowly building, "And… thank you."

When the man turned to leave, Sakura's eyes met the watery gaze of his cousin, the young boy still clinging to him as he carried him off. Raising his small hand, he gave her a tiny wave, one which she met with a comforting smile and a wave of her own.

After watching as the Uchiha entered back into one of the homes nearby, Sakura resumed her trek to the head household, continuing down the well worn pathway that lead to Madara and Izuna's home. When she finally reached the familiar house of her two closest companions during this time, she knocked on the door twice, patiently waiting for a response.

After a minute of no activity, she knocked again but was met with no familiar faces answering the door. Walking around the side of the large home to see if they were instead training in their personal garden in the center of their home, she peeked in through a wide section of opened fusuma which revealed the private space within.

Finding Izuna seated in the grass, tending to his katana in the sunshine, she called out, "Izuna."

He turned around curiously, immediately meeting her gaze and greeting her with a half hearted wave. Stepping up onto the elevated engawa and then back down into the Uchiha brothers' garden, Sakura approached him.

"Good morning, Izuna. How are your ribs feeling? I've been worried since you never came to my clinic after the battle" she asked as she sat next to him in the soft grass, watching as he ran his katana across a large whetstone perched upon a block of wood.

"I'm fine. I do not need your help now, nor did I need your help during the battle. Despite how it may have looked to _you_ , I had the upper hand during that fight. I was about to release a fire jutsu when you attacked that trash," Izuna fumed as he continued to run his katana across the whetstone, only stopping to wet the blade and the stone with water from a small wooden bucket, "I could have finally had him if you hadn't forced me to stop."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say," she taunted in response, earning a glare in return.

"I'm not joking with you! Don't feel as if you saved my life or anything of the sort, I had the situation well in hand," he growled before returning to his task of sharpening his blade, "You're lucky I was able to restrain my jutsu or I could have killed you."

Sakura snorted in return before sarcastically responding, "Well then, I'm so sorry for taking your fight away from you and I'm so grateful you spared my life."

"You should be! I had him within my grasp," he snapped, wetting his blade once again, gray-tinged water dripping down into the grass.

"Of course," she answered, shaking her head, before asking, "Is Madara inside? I want to check on him too."

"No, he's out in the field playing with his pet," Izuna grumbled, not looking up from his katana.

"A pet?"

"Yes, his bratty feathered child. You'll likely find him in the fields near our training ground."

"Color me interested," Sakura hummed as she stood, brushing the grass from her skirts, "I'll leave you to it then."

"Sure. Just remember-!" he started, jabbing a finger at her.

"Yeah, yeah, I didn't save your life, you spared mine. I'm so grateful," Sakura interrupted, waving her hand in dismissal.

Izuna pointed at her one last time for emphasis before returning to his task, not raising his head again as Sakura left the Uchiha brothers' private garden. Deciding she would take her time to walk through the woods instead of running through the trees, she took a moment to appreciate her surroundings in a way she hadn't been able to during the march the previous day.

Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the feeling of the gentle breeze and the warm sunshine on her skin. The scent of flowers and lush greenery. The quiet song of the forest around her, birds gently chirping and flitting through the treetops. She appreciated the lull of peace more than ever after having taken part in the chaos of war the day before.

As Sakura ascended a hillside which lead into the fields, she immediately spotted a splash of black against the greens and golds of the grassland. Laughing to herself, she thought of how Madara did not blend into his surroundings at all before calling out his name.

Madara turned around to face her, welcoming her with a smile before he walked forward, meeting her in the middle. Her eyes flicked down to the leather gauntlet on his hand and the large bag slung over his shoulders.

"Izuna said you'd be out here. He also said you'd be 'playing with your bratty feathered child' so I find myself more than a little curious," Sakura greeted with a teasing smile.

He laughed. "She may tolerate him but he's still never been very appreciative of her."

"Her?" she parroted, curious.

His smile turning into a smirk, Madara held out his arm before releasing a piercing whistle and looking upwards. Following his gaze, Sakura watched in interest as a hawk descended from the sky, swooping down to gracefully land on the proffered gauntlet. She was surprised by the wind that the bird kicked up, the gust blowing back her hair and forcing her to brush her bangs out of her face. Looking up at the startlingly large hawk, she flipped her hair from her shoulder to her back, not wanting the ponytail she kept her growing hair in to catch the bird's interest.

"Sakura. Meet Asuko," Madara introduced.

"Oh wow, she's beautiful. And quite powerful! I've never seen a hawk this big before," she complimented, the hawk gazing at her curiously from her perch.

"She's well fed," he joked, drawing a snort of amusement from Sakura.

"I'm impressed that she's so well taught. We certainly had messenger hawks and the like in my old village but I get the feeling Asuko is trained a bit more extensively."

"She is. I received her as a hatchling when I was just a boy," he explained proudly, "We've spent many years together."

Before she could reply, Madara and Asuko's eyes snapped over to something in the distance. Sakura looked over as well, trying to follow their gazes, but she couldn't spot whatever it was they were focused on, hidden within the rolling plains of grass.

"Would you like to see some of what she can do?" he asked, drawing her attention back to him.

"Of course," she answered, curious about whatever training he had given his beloved pet.

Madara lifted his hand and Asuko immediately took to the sky, her great wings beating so hard that she produced a gust that blew both her and his hair out of their faces. He began to stroll over to where he had looked earlier, Sakura following as she looked up to Asuko already high in the sky. It was only a dozen steps in before a hare leapt out of the grass, bolting across the field towards some brush in the distance.

"There it goes," Madara commented as the small rodent ran, Sakura watching as Asuko immediately spotted her prey and dove downwards. When the large bird landed atop the hare, there wasn't even a struggle, the massive bird having dispatched the small creature in an instant.

"Oh wow," Sakura commented, surprised at how efficiently the bird of prey had completed her hunt.

Once they had walked over to Asuko and her prey, Madara took the hare from her and tucked it into the bag slung across his shoulder. Holding out his gauntlet to her, she readily hopped on, fluffing her wings once before settling in comfortably.

"What do you think?" Madara asked curiously, the pride and joy in the set of his shoulders making Sakura smile.

"I'm impressed! Maybe a bit more impressed that Asuko didn't bite your finger off when you took her rabbit," Sakura teased.

" _Our_ rabbit, thank you," Madara sassed as Asuko began to carefully groom her feathers.

" _Your_ rabbit, sorry," she chuckled before pondering aloud, "It reminds me of when Kurumi gets ahold of the birds around my house."

Asuko stopped in her preening and perked up, as if in understanding, gazing at her with cautious eyes.

"Shh, she doesn't mean you," he comforted softly, giving her chest a scratch.

Sakura laughed in return, drawing a smile from him, as Asuko's eyes snapped from her to him only to return to her once again.

"Is it okay if I pet her too?" she asked, finding herself wondering if the hawk's feathers were as soft as they looked. While she had certainly worked with a handful of hawks and falcons in her time, she had not only never seen someone be as affectionate with one as Madara was with Asuko but she had never pet the working birds at her village.

"I, well… She has been hunting and even if she was completely relaxed, she isn't particularly-" Madara started before Asuko began to gently warble and chirp, looking up at Sakura. She ruffled her feathers, her posture relaxing even farther, before she adjusted on her perch as if to step closer.

His expression changed from one of hesitation to one of surprise before he continued, "That's… Hm. Well, you can certainly try but be cautious. She may nip at you."

Reaching out tentatively, Sakura gently stroked Asuko's wing, her fingertips drifting down her smooth feathers and drawing a contented warble from the hawk. Looking on in shock, Madara watched as Sakura grew bolder, reaching out to gently scratch her chest. Instead of biting her as she was prone to do to strangers or even tolerating the contact like she did with Izuna, Asuko leaned into her touch, actively seeking out her affection like she did with him.

"She likes you," Madara remarked with surprise in his voice.

"She's beautiful," Sakura marveled, happily scratching Asuko's chest.

"Would you like to catch her?"

"What do you mean?"

He grinned. "I'll show you."

Madara held up his arm, Asuko immediately understanding and launching off of her perch with a gust of wind. Brushing her bangs out of her face once again, Sakura watched as the hawk circled above them before her gaze flicked back to Madara as he offered her his gauntlet. Taking the proferrered leather glove, she slipped it onto her hand and flexed her fingers twice.

"Hold out your arm," he explained as he took a step back, Sakura holding out her gloved hand and looking up to Asuko.

In response to another sharp whistle from Madara, the hawk descended from the sky, circling around them before landing upon the gauntlet secured to Sakura's arm. Caught off guard by the power behind the bird's landing, Sakura made a noise of surprise before adjusting to Asuko now perched on her arm.

"Oh! She's strong!" Sakura laughed in surprise, a smile spreading across her lips as she gazed at the bird in awe.

Asuko happily chirped at her, moving from one foot to the other before warbling once again. Understanding, Sakura reached out to pet her chest, the hawk contentedly ruffling its feathers and readily accepting the affection.

Looking on with a grin, Madara suggested, "Hold your arm up."

When she lifted her arm, Asuko took off from the gauntlet, making Sakura laugh as the gust of wind produced by her powerful wings blew her hair out of her face. Unable to lose the smile from her face, she gazed up at the hawk as Madara stood next to her.

"Let's let her fly. It's been a while for her and I think she's enjoying it," Madara stated as he looked up at his companion circling in the sky before gesturing to one of the few trees in the grassy field.

"I can only imagine how freeing it must feel to fly," she mused as they both began to walk to the oak.

"The way she enjoys it so, one can only imagine," he returned as they settled down beneath the branches of the large tree.

As they sat in the shade, cushioned by the soft grass, Sakura thought of how she had once heard of a man who could fly using ninjutsu. The Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure was renowned for his ability to manipulate the weights of objects, including his own, an ability that allowed him to fly.

She wondered if a jutsu like that existed in this time and turned to ask Madara if he had ever heard of such a technique but, when she faced him, she noticed how his expression had turned from one of contentment to one that was troubled.

"Ryo for your thoughts?" she asked, concerned at his sudden change in mood.

"Hn…" he hummed noncommitedly in return, absentmindedly watching as Asuko pinwheeled in the air.

"You'd think after so long of living here I would have learned to speak in monosyllabic noises, but I haven't quite grasped that skill yet," she joked, the edge of Madara's lip quirking upwards.

"Give it a little more time, I'm certain you'll learn. It's a subtle skill."

"Mhmm."

"See? You're almost there," he chuckled, drawing a laugh from Sakura.

Turning her gaze away from him and instead looking to Asuko as well, she watched as the hawk dove from the sky before catching a breeze and returning to her place high in the air. There were a few moments of a comfortable silence before she spoke.

"But in all seriousness…" Sakura started before pausing and gently asking, "You seem troubled. Is something wrong?"

Madara sighed. "Nothing immediate. I'm simply concerned for the future."

"How so?"

Finally turning his gaze away from his companion in the sky, he faced her, regarding her for a long moment. Saying nothing, Sakura simply waited, knowing that he would tell her what was on his mind if he was comfortable. After a few long heartbeats, he looked away, leaning back against the tree and opening his mouth as if to speak. He seemed to search for the right words to say before he finally began to explain.

"I find myself frustrated with the state of the world. There appears to be no future aside from war and I am at a loss for what to do to ensure my family's safety and prosperity."

Sakura nodded patiently in response, waiting for him to continue.

"While we are one of the most powerful clans on the continent, we still find ourselves forced to obey the whims of the lords to survive. And, more often than not, that results in constant battles with the Senju. I've lost forty-nine members of my family to battle just since I became leader of the clan..." he continued before looking to her and asking, "What would you do, Sakura?"

"I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that," Sakura answered with a frown.

"I'm not asking you to take over the clan for Izuna and I. Simply your opinion," he elaborated.

"Well…" Sakura began as she thought.

Part of her wondered if she should even say what she was thinking aloud, if admitting her thoughts would somehow play a part in changing the future. The other part however, a part that was slowly becoming louder and more insistent within her as more time passed, wondered if perhaps this was the reason she was here. If there was more to her being trapped in the past than some fluke during a battle.

She wondered if she was meant to be here.

"If all of these battles are being instigated by the lords…" she began, her heart beginning to race in her chest, "I would go about becoming more powerful and self-sustaining than the lords."

"How would you accomplish that?" Madara pressed curiously.

"Alliances. If, say for example, the Uchiha and the Senju made an alliance then no clan would attempt to face you. There wouldn't be anyone powerful enough to take on both of you at once. And then you could dictate what you wanted and didn't want to do in regards to requests from the lords," Sakura explained, feeling his gaze on her like a weight, "You'd be too powerful for them to make a play against and too powerful to ignore. At that point, you could do whatever you wanted."

When she finally turned to look at him, he was staring at her with an odd expression. Feeling her cheeks heating up from embarrassment, she quickly looked away and stuttered out, "H-hey, it's just a theory."

Sakura was surprised when Madara simply laughed, once again leaning back against the tree with a smile on his face.

"Don't mistake my curiosity for upset. You simply reminded me of someone there for a moment," he explained with a smile although his eyes seemed distant.

"Oh?"

Instead of replying to her subtle question, there was a long pause before Madara changed the subject. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday."

"What about it?" Sakura questioned.

"You very well could have saved Izuna's life."

Sakura chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't think he quite sees it that way."

"He is stubborn."

"That seems to be a family trait."

"Perhaps. Nonetheless… You put yourself in harms way because you saw he was in a precarious position in battle. You faced down not just Toka but Tobirama as well, two of the most powerful warriors the Senju have to offer, all to protect my little brother. He…" Madara explained, emotion in his voice, "He's the most important person in my life. Thank you for standing by his side. For standing with all of us."

"It was nothing. I'm just happy I was there so I could help. I care about him. I care about you… a lot..." Sakura replied, immediately mentally kicking herself as she felt her cheeks burn.

"I… care for you quite a lot… as well…" he fumbled in return, neither of them able to meet each others' eyes as they looked anywhere but at one another.

Unable to find the words to say to one another, the silence stretched between them. Sakura struggled for something, anything to say after so thoroughly embarrassing herself but found her mind continued to trip over his confession as well. Despite knowing that he meant it as a friend, her heart continued to betray her by singing in her chest.

She was grateful when Asuko finally descended from her flight, choosing to instead find a perch in the branches above them. Both her and Madara looked up to watch her and it was Madara who finally broke the silence.

"It's about time to head back."

"That's a good idea… I have a patient who is going to be dropping by later who was too embarrassed to come see me," she explained before trying to ease the tension by teasing him, "If you could let your family members know that they need to see me any time they are hurt no matter what, that would be wonderful."

"Noted," he laughed, shaking his hand, before his gaze fell to the gauntlet still wrapped around her hand, "Would you like to carry her back?"

"Can I pet her more?" Sakura asked as they stood.

"If she keeps chirping at you, yes," he answered with a smile.

"Then absolutely."

"Hold out your arm."

Holding out her gloved hand, there was no need for Madara to even whistle to recall her, Asuko immediately fluttering down from the treetop to perch on the gauntlet. Sakura cautiously watched as she ruffled her feathers and got comfortable and it wasn't until the hawk looked up at her and warbled gently that she reached out to pet her.

"Atta girl," Sakura cooed softly before she gentle scratched her chest, unaware of how Madara looked on.

* * *

Carrying Asuko back into her aviary outside of his and Izuna's home, Madara opened the door and allowed his companion to fly off of his gauntlet and return to her favorite perch. Closing the door behind him, he reached into the sack he had been carrying on his shoulder, pulling out one of the three rabbits they had captured that day.

She immediately zeroed in on the treat in his hand and, when he tossed it to the space in her home dedicated to eating, she shot off her perch and latched onto her meal. While she ate, he went about taking care of what little maintenance he had for the upkeep of her aviary. As he raked up the soiled leaf litter from the floor of her space, his thoughts drifted to his time with Sakura earlier that day.

He was amazed at how much Asuko loved Sakura. He never thought that his feathered companion would warm up to anyone besides him, Izuna, and their late mother. Seeing how Asuko didn't just tolerate Sakura but that she was affectionate with her affirmed to him that Sakura was a woman unlike any other.

He crouched down to remove a few stray feathers and debris from Asuko's water bucket and, as he picked out the rubbish from her water, his thoughts turned dark. He thought of how Sakura's contract with him and his clan would be up later that year. Dread slowly built within him, as was the norm whenever he was reminded of her impending departure, as he thought of how the day was approaching far too quickly for his taste.

Madara wanted to invite her to stay for longer but couldn't quite bring himself to do so. He didn't even know where to begin. He had nothing to offer her besides their library, her home, the protection that came with being with his clan, and his companionship. She was nearly finished with the library, she could easily afford a home wherever she wanted, and she didn't need anyone to protect her - a fact she proved when she so thoroughly injured both Toka and Tobirama without even activating her seal or summoning any of her cats.

He didn't know if just his companionship would be enough for her to stay…

Asuko crooned at him as she sensed his discomfort, snapping him free from his ruminations. He weakly smiled at her as he stood, flicking the water from his fingertips as he sighed.

"I know, I know…" Madara muttered as he left her enclosure, locking the door behind him.

* * *

When Sakura arrived back at her home, expecting to find the Uchiha man from earlier, she was surprised to instead find Hitomi waiting for her. She welcomed her with a smile but was further surprised to find two young children sitting on the engawa next to her, a boy kicking his feet and a girl pulling the petals off of a fallen plum blossom.

"Hey, Hitomi. I'm guessing these are your kids?" Sakura greeted as Hitomi stood and stepped forward to meet her.

"They are," Hitomi replied proudly before gently calling out to her children, "Come introduce yourselves."

The two young children slipped off of the engawa, the girl abandoning her dissected flower on the ground as she excitedly ran up to meet her. The boy, however, hung back warily, choosing to instead cradle his bandaged hand as he hid behind his sister.

"Hi, Lady Sakura, my name is Kaida!" the girl introduced happily before asking, "You're so _pretty_! How do you have hair like flowers?"

Sakura laughed, "I was born this way, same as you."

"Ryuta…" Hitomi pressed softly.

"I'm Ryuta…" the boy muttered before Hitomi gave him a look, "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Ryuta," Sakura answered with a warm smile, "I noticed you have a bandage on your hand. Are you hurt?"

Muttering something under his breath and looking down at the ground, Ryuta held his hand closer to his chest. Hitomi frowned deeply, concern in her eyes, before turning to regard Sakura.

"He was helping me cook but he was burned when he spilled a pot of boiling water. I was hoping you could take a look at it for me?" Hitomi explained, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Ryuta's back.

"Of course. Come on in. I'm thinking about making something to eat if you're hungry too," Sakura offered as she gestured towards her home and stepped onto the engawa.

"Shouldn't I be the one offering to cook? I am the cook for your lovers after all," Hitomi teased as her and her children followed Sakura, stepping inside when she opened the fusuma for them.

"I would imagine you'd like to be treated every once in a while," she replied with a laugh, shaking her head as she continued to slide open the row of fusuma, opening up her home to the sunshine and warm air.

"I can't say my children would be opposed to a treat," she hummed in return, Kaida perking up at the mention of a snack.

"It'll be a gift once Ryuta's hand is healed up then," Sakura decided as she stepped inside, bypassing the folding partitions that separated her clinic from her home, "Ryuta? Can you do me a favor and sit right here?"

Gesturing to one of the cushions surrounding the table in her living room, Sakura sat upon one of the other seats and patiently waited for the young boy. Gingerly stepping forward, Ryuta cautious settled onto the cushion but refused to meet her gaze.

"You two can sit down too if you want," she offered, Hitomi nodding in return as she seated herself onto one of the other cushions.

"Can I watch, please?" Kaida asked instead, looking to Sakura with curious eyes.

"If you'd like," Sakura answered with a smile.

"Just keep your hands to yourself, Kadia. No touching."

"Okay, mama," Kaida agreed as she happily sat right next to Sakura, so close that their knees nearly touched.

"Can I take off these bandages?" Sakura asked, Ryuta glancing up before nodding once and hesitantly holding out the hand he had been cradling.

"I'll be gentle, I promise," Sakura promised before reaching out and slowly removing the bandage.

The burn beneath was an angry red with blisters filled with fluid already bubbling forth. While the burn was small enough, Sakura knew from experience that it was painful and in a place where he would be constantly reminded of the discomfort.

Deciding that healing the wound with medical ninjutsu instead of medications and salves was the best course of action, and one that would put an insignificant dent in the reserves she was saving for her patient later that day, Sakura began to channel chakra into her hand. When her hand began to glow green with familiar healing chakra, Kadia wowed excitedly while Ryuta looked on anxiously.

"This might feel a little funny but you'll feel better in no time," Sakura assured, waiting for him to look up and nod once before holding her hand over his wound.

Both children watched in amazement as the skin began to heal, the redness of the burn receding while the blisters slowly faded. Fresh skin was revealed as the burn disappeared and, when the green light faded and she pulled away, Kaida and Ryuta looked down in quiet awe. Cautiously, Ryuta reached out, tentatively running his finger across the new skin before blinking twice.

"It feels better," he muttered before looking up at her with amazement in his eyes.

"That was so pretty! Pretty like your hair!" Kaida declared excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

"Why thank you," Sakura replied with a laugh.

"What do you say, Ryuta?" Hitomi prompted, her son looking to her and back to Sakura.

"Thank you… Lady Sakura," he thanked softly, his apprehension from before now gone.

"Any time," Sakura answered before smiling, "Want a treat for being so good?"

Ryuta nodded enthusiastically in response as she stood, Kaida enthusiastically asking, "Can I have one too, please?"

"After asking so nicely? You can both have two."

Walking into her kitchen, Sakura pulled her box of sweets out of her pantry and removed six small caramel treats. She replaced the lid and returned the box to its place before walking back to children and dropping two sweets each into their outstretched hands.

"Thank you!" Kaida declared before immediately popping one of the caramels into her mouth

"Thank you," Ryuta quietly thanked before putting one of the treats in his mouth too.

Sitting at the table, Sakura handed Hitomi one of the caramels, drawing a laugh from the older woman.

"Thank you, Sakura," she chuckled, popping the caramel into her mouth while Sakura did the same.

"So, how have things been going on your end?" Sakura asked, watching as Kaida stood and went to curiously investigate her alchemical setup on the opposite side of the room.

"Quite well, aside from today's little mishap. I've been working on a few new dishes lately that I think you'd be excited to try. You could always invite yourself to Madara and Izuna's home if you wanted to try one of my new meals," Hitomi answered, glancing over to her children as Kaida waved to Ryuta, beckoning him over to see something that had caught her interest. When he looked up to her, she gave him a nod.

"Tempting. One of the reasons I visit them so often is for your food," she complimented as Ryuta stood, going to investigate the bottles and apparati with his sister.

"Mhmm, I'm certain that's a small reason in comparison to one other," she teased.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sakura argued, her cheeks heating as she recalled her embarrassing confession from earlier that day.

"Ah, I must be mistaken then. There's no reason why a woman would spend so much time with a handsome young man who has taken such an interest in her. Madara certainly does speak highly of you, even behind closed doors," Hitomi continued, peering at Sakura with a knowing look in her eyes.

"He does?"

"You find yourself interested then?"

"Of course not. We're just friends," Sakura defended.

"I never implied you were more, hm?" she answered with a sly smile.

"I won't be tricked by your wordplay, Hitomi," she huffed in return before a gentle tugging at her sleeve caught her attention.

"Umm… Lady Sakura?" Ryuta started shyly, pulling back when Sakura turned to meet his gaze.

"Yes?"

"Mama says you have cats…" he muttered as he moved his weight from foot to foot, "Can I see your cats?"

"Ryuta, dear, she _summons_ cats. They aren't like pets, they're ninja," Hitomi explained gently.

"Oh…" he mumbled, dejected, as he looked down at his feet.

"Would you like to meet one?" Sakura asked, Ryuta quickly perking up.

"Yes, please," he answered quickly, Kaida immediately rushing to his side and abandoning her exploration to look up at Sakura with excitement.

Smiling, Sakura turned in her seat to face them. "Watch closely."

Both children leaned in close, watching intently as she slowly made a few handsigns and nipped the tip of her finger, drawing a droplet of blood.

"Summoning jutsu," she called out as she placed her hand on the floor, small, concentric circles surrounded by kanji erupting from her hand before a puff of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, Kurumi was revealed, the small brown cat looking around curiously before her eyes settled onto the children above her.

"Kurumi, this is Ryuta and Kaida. They're Hitomi's kids," Sakura explained as the children looked down in wonder.

"Oh. Hi, I'm Kurumi," she introduced, the kids wowing at her.

"You can talk like us! But you're a cat," Ryuta asked excitedly, finally beginning to come out of his shell.

"Well yeah, of course I can!" Kurumi returned, her feline face pinched in confusion, "How can you talk like me? You're so tiny. Are you a baby?"

"I'm not a baby, my mama says I'm big," he returned proudly.

"You're cute!" Kaida declared loudly, sitting down on the floor to get closer to the feline, "Can I pet you, please?"

"Uh-huh but don't touch my tail, 'kay?" Kurumi replied, stepping closer.

"'Kay," she promised as she reached out and pet her, gently running her hand from her head to her back.

"Me too?" Ryuta asked, sitting down next to his sister and scooting closer to Kurumi.

"Yeah," she agreed, beginning to purr as he reached out to scratch her chin.

"Do you like to play?" Kaida asked as she pet her lower back, giggling when Kurumi stretched into her touch.

"Uh-huh, I really like chasing birds and bugs and lizards."

"Wanna chase dragonflies? There are a bunch in the plum trees, I saw them when I was sitting."

"Oh, dragonflies taste really good! And their wings are crunchy!"

"Ewww!" Kaida giggled.

"Mama? Can we play in the trees?" Ryuta asked, finally turning his attention away from Kurumi and looking to his mother.

"Do you mind, Sakura?" Hitomi asked with a warm smile.

"Not at all. Let's go sit outside, I can do with a little extra sunshine before I'm locked up for the day," Sakura answered as she stood and stretched.

Both women chuckled when Kurumi bolted outside, Kaida and Ryuta laughing loudly as they chased after her. They soon followed, sitting on the edge of the engawa and basking in the sunlight as they watched the children chase bugs in the plum grove.

"Today is a beautiful day," Sakura sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as she leaned back against one of the posts of her engawa.

"It truly is," Hitomi hummed, smiling as she watched her son and daughter play.

* * *

"And that's our plan, Lady Tsunade. We believe we may have a chance of bringing Sakura home if we are able to somehow craft a summoning scroll for her specifically," Shikamaru finished explaining as he stood before Tsunade's desk in her office, Kakashi and Naruto standing at his side.

"That's an interesting theory you have," Tsunade remarked, her tone saying nothing but the growing bags beneath her eyes betraying her well concealed grief, "Do you have anything to show for it yet?"

"Not yet. We just came up with the idea and Naruto ran over here," Kakashi answered, glancing over to Naruto who fidgeted in place.

"What do you think, granny? Pretty smart, huh! It just has to work!" Naruto tacked on enthusiastically, a wide smile spread across his face.

"Do you even have any idea how a summoning scroll is made, brat?" Tsunade scolded although her words lacked the bite they normally did.

"No, but you must know someone who does!"

"I knew a seal master once… But he's passed now," she answered vaguely, her eyes downcast.

At her unspoken words, a heavy weight settled over those in the room. Naruto's expression dropped as he was reminded of his master's passing, the optimism that once decorated his face instead replaced with quiet mourning for yet another person he had lost.

"I seem to remember that the Uzumaki were once extraordinarily skilled in creating these seals. They are mentioned frequently in the books we went over while trying to figure out why Sakura's signature on your contract with the slugs had turned black," Kakashi suggested, breaking the weighted silence that filled the room following the mention of Jiraiya's death.

"They were, my grandmother being the most talented of them all. She had devoted her life to mastering the use of seals and had even crafted the most famous of them all…" She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Not that it matters now. All of that knowledge, everything she wrote down and everything she passed down, was lost over the years or because of Pain. We have nothing in the village."

"In our village, perhaps, but what of others?" Shikamaru broached thoughtfully, "We have an alliance with Suna and we've already gone to Temari of the Sand for assistance before. It's possible we could strike a deal for the right price."

"With this war starting? What would you suggest we give them that would be of enough value that they would divert resources away from preparing to battle Madara? What do you suggest we give that wouldn't take away from ourselves while we gather our resources?" Tsunade questioned.

"Information. Information on medicine, specifically."

"Go on."

"My family are experts in herbology, in crafting medicines. And Suna would greatly benefit from some of our information to help in the coming war."

"What would you suggest we trade then?" she inquired once again.

"Information on how to craft the colored pills my clan gives to the Akimichi. We won't give them the recipes for the yellow curry pill or the red chili pill but the green spinach pill is essentially a super powered soldier pill. We could even give them a condensed antidote for the poisoning effects. They could mass produce it and give it to their shinobi for the battle ahead," Shikamaru explained, a concealed desperation in his tone that he kept carefully hidden.

"Do you even have the authority to pass along that information from your family's reserves? While I may have worked extensively to reverse Choji's poisoning after he used all three pills during his battle with that Sound ninja, I received permission from your father to do so."

"To bring back one of the most powerful medical ninja and kunoichi our country has to offer? To bring back Sakura - my classmate, my comrade, my friend? I think he will agree," Shikamaru returned vehemently.

Tsunade stared at the Nara for a few long moments, considering the passion in his voice and his resolve to bring Sakura home, before nodding once to herself. Leaning back into her chair, she considered their options as she gazed at the ceiling in thought.

"Suna is our ally, anything that benefits them could benefit us in the long run, especially in this coming war. Although it may come back to bite us in the ass. Alliances come and go over the years..." she sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose.

When Tsunade opened her eyes, she was met with the hopeful gazes of three shinobi, all of which called her precious student - a woman she considered to be more of a daughter than a pupil - their comrade. Glaring at them, she jabbed a finger towards the door.

"Well, get going then! We have a war coming, we don't have time to screw around!" Tsunade scolded loudly, drawing a smile from everyone in the room.

"We'll be back, granny! And soon enough, it'll be with Sakura!" Naruto declared confidently as he rushed from the room, abandoning both Shikamaru and Kakashi.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru thanked deeply before chasing after the enthusiastic blond.

"We'll return soon with Shikaku's answer and any further information," Kakashi tacked on before giving her a halfhearted wave, one Tsunade ignored as she settled back into her chair.

Once the three shinobi were finally gone and the door to her office closed, Tsunade released a silent sigh, reaching down to one of her desk drawers. Pulling it open, she removed her hidden bottle of sake and a dish, soon popping off the lid to the bottle and pouring herself a drink.

"You damn well better bring her home," she whispered as she gazed into the dish of sake before downing her shot in an attempt at fighting back the sorrow and the grief that still lingered in her chest.

Underneath all of the despair she felt at having lost yet another one of her precious people, Naruto continued to leave her something that, while small, shone brightly beneath the darkness…

Hope.

* * *

 _A/N: Ryuta, the name of Hitomi's son, means "big dragon". Kaida, the name of her daughter, means "little dragon". While they are Uchiha, they they weren't trained to be shinobi. Instead, they will grow up to be cooks like their exceptionally talented mother._

 _The Three Colored Pills that Shikamaru mentions are actually from the first part of the show when they were still genin. These are the pills that Choji used when he fought Jirobo, one of the Sound Ninja who took Sasuke to the Village Hidden by Sound. The first is the green spinach pill, the second is the yellow curry pill, and the final is the red chili pill. They work by forcibly converting fat cells to chakra, something that is very damaging but can increase a shinobi's chakra up to 100x. Tsunade used the Nara Clan Medical Encyclopaedia to form a cure for the toxic side effects of these pills and to save Choji's life when he was dying following taking the red chili pill. They were pretty much never mentioned again but are considered to be a secret kept by the InoShikaCho clans and would be valuable enough to trade for valuable information on crafting scrolls._


	25. The Merchant Queen

_A/N: I am so thrilled to say that, after years of dedication and perseverance, I have finally accomplished a dream of mine long in the making… I graduated with my Bachelor's in Science of Nursing!_

 _Now that I don't have to spend every spare moment studying, I can finally focus my attention back onto my passions like writing, haha. Thank you all for your love and support, it absolutely meant the world to me as I faced one of the most difficult challenges of my life!_

* * *

While the task of creating tinctures, salves, and pills was once arduous and tiring, Sakura found that she now enjoyed the time spent crafting her medicines. It was easy to find an rhythm to get lost in while she worked. While the medications required the utmost accuracy in how they were prepared, she was so familiar with the process that times like these became more meditative than tedious.

She found herself needing these quiet moments where she could let her mind go blank in order to cope with the sense of hopelessness that only grew alongside the days she spent cut off from her loved ones in her time.

It was during one of these calming sessions as she worked to craft a new supply of antiemetics - the only sounds being the gentle bubbling of her boiling elixir and the sound of her mortar and pestle as she ground down the dried shavings of a ginger root - that she was visited by her two closest companions during this time.

While she had already sensed their familiar chakras during their approach, Madara and Izuna were still polite enough to knock on the nearly always open fusuma on the side of her home.

"Come in," Sakura called out, carefully mixing the ground ginger root into the boiling elixir before extinguishing the flame and allowing the mixture to cool.

"Hard at work as always, I see," Madara commented as him and his brother entered her living space.

"I have to to keep up with you and your danger prone family," she joked as she stood, wiping the debris from her work from her skirts, "I'm afraid I haven't started dinner yet if you're looking for a questionable meal."

"Your cooking has gotten much better these past few months," he returned cheekily.

"You know the _polite_ response would be to say that my cooking has always been fantastic."

"We know you don't appreciate being lied to," Izuna replied, a bite to his tone as he finally spoke.

Ever since the battle against the Senju when Sakura had intervened in Izuna's fight with Tobirama, Izuna had been sour with her, every one of their interactions painted with his lingering distaste. As the days he maintained his hostility grew, she found her patience for the man wearing thinner and thinner.

Raising an irritated brow at him, Sakura deadpanned, "Well then to what do I owe this lovely visit?"

"We're organizing our yearly trek to Sora-ku, a merchant city run by a weapons manufacturer who supplies all of the ninja clans. Izuna takes this trip annually to resupply the armaments that Manchira can't craft on her own. Among other things, of course," Madara explained.

Sakura immediately recognized the name of the city as being one that she had visited once as a child.

It had been when she was still a genin and when Team Seven had still been whole. Her, Naruto, and Sasuke had been sent on a mission to retrieve the pawprint of the powerful ninja cat Nekomata. She remembered the city as being rundown and nearly abandoned, the only two humans that she had met there being their employer - the elder woman Nekobaa - and her granddaughter Tamaki.

She briefly wondered if the city was as derelict now as it would be in the future before her thoughts were overcome by a single pressing question: would Sora-ku hold the key to finding her way home?

Sakura had long since read through all of the material in the Uchiha's private library that held any hope of providing her with clues for crafting the space time jutsu she needed to return home. Unwilling to give up yet unable to search elsewhere for clues, she had continued in her unrelated studies, her quickly rising desperation and constant dread a familiar weight in the back of her mind.

She had begun to wonder if she would be forced to abandon the Uchiha once their contract was finished to instead search for another clan in the hopes of utilizing their libraries. She dreaded the thought that she may one day be forced to make a deal with the Senju, her closest friends' bitter rivals and a clan that she doubted would allow her anywhere near their family for anything less than her blood as well as her jutsu.

More than anything, Sakura was scared that she would have to face the possible truth that she was trapped in the past and that there was nothing she could do to return home. That she was destined to be here and stay here until the end of her days. That she would never see her family, her friends, or her mentors again.

Now, hearing that there would soon be an expedition to a merchant city that specialized in supplying the ninja clans, she felt the fading ember of hope within her flare into a flame once again. Hope that Sora-ku may be the place that contained the answers she needed bloomed within her, fueled further by the energy from her carefully concealed desperation.

"I want to come too," Sakura immediately declared, earning confused looks from both brothers.

"Why?" Izuna questioned as Sakura mentally floundered for an explanation.

"There are a number of supplies that I need for my medicines that I need to be there to verify," Sakura answered quickly, her words not a lie but not the truth either, "I need to be able to see the product to make sure it's the right materials and that they're of good enough quality for my research."

"Could you not provide a list of what you need with descriptions of each item? I would prefer you stay here in the village with me in case there's an emergency," Madara suggested.

"That's not possible," Sakura returned, shaking her head, "There are a number of plants that I need to research poisons and craft medicines. Some harmless herbs look nearly identical to deadly plants and I need to be able to lay eyes on them to verify they are what I need."

"Do you not think of me as being intelligent enough to tell the difference between an herb and a poison?" Izuna huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Can you spot the difference between hemlock and alyssum? Can you tell hemlock from white snakeroot? How about wolfsbane and the bearded iris? Can you identify the difference between the edible kinds of nightshade and the deadly ones?" Sakura interrogated, "Even if you trust these merchants to not trick you, are you positive that _they_ will know the difference too?"

Izuna's eyes narrowed. "We can't risk our healer going on a mission with me in case there's an attack. You're just going to have to trust me to get what you need and stay back where you belong."

Bristling at Izuna's comment, Sakura shot back, "I'm no slave to you and I will not be held prisoner here based on what ifs. I should be more than welcome to join if one of the clan heads is planning on going with little more than a squad of people."

"I'll be perfectly fine, I can handle myself. I don't need your help. I'm the second most powerful shinobi in this clan and nothing ever has or ever will stand in my way."

"I could kick your ass any day so, in reality, you're third best! By that logic, I should be going and you can stay here _where you belong_ ," Sakura growled, her anger now rising more from her aggravation with Izuna than her need to be a part of this mission.

"You could try-!" Izuna snarled in return before he was interrupted by Madara grabbing his shoulder and leveling him with a heavy look. There was a long moment of silence between the brothers before Izuna looked away with a scoff.

"Sakura, you are no slave to us and you never will be. You're not only our healer, you're a valued part of the clan now," Madara tried to mitigate before adding on, "Although, as our hired medic, you must consider the medical needs of the clan first."

Sakura, anger still burning within her, opened her mouth to retort but Madara quickly cut her off, holding up a staying hand.

"However, I have become fairly skilled with basic medical ninjutsu under your guidance and it is not as if we were entirely hopeless before your arrival in regards to treating wounds and illness. If you two can _stop fighting_ -" he emphasized, leveling Izuna with a pointed stare, "-and make it a hasty trip, I do not see why Sakura cannot accompany you to Sora-ku."

"You can't be serious, Madara. After that bold assault from the Senju, you think it's a good idea for _both_ of us to be gone?"

"Our family is not so pathetic that they cannot defend themselves without you, me, or Sakura around," Madara scolded, eyes narrowed, "Furthermore, the Senju wouldn't dare an attack so soon. They are too busy licking their wounds. Now is the opportune time for this mission."

"If anything, Sakura should have a place of honor during this trip since it was her who grievously wounded both Toka _and_ Tobirama," Madara added, "If the Senju were to be so careless as to brave an attack during your absence, the only shinobi of any notable danger who would be well enough to fight would be Hashirama and I can handle him just fine."

"Tch… I suppose," Izuna finally agreed with a scowl before glaring at Sakura, "These supplies you are so desperate to get ahold of better be of some substantial benefit."

"Being able to procure these medical supplies doesn't just help me and my research, it helps your family too. I can't fix every problem with just ninjutsu. There are many poisons, illnesses, and injuries that require specialized medicine alongside jutsu. Being able to get ahold of the supplies I need will only make it so I can save more lives," Sakura detailed firmly although she refrained from allowing the bite from earlier to seep into her tone.

Izuna's expression softened around the edges before he muttered, "Very well. We'll be leaving at dawn so I suggest you gather whatever supplies you need for a week long mission."

"Wear your armor," he tacked on before turning his back on them both and leaving.

Madara and Sakura watched Izuna's back as he left, silently exiting through the door they came in not ten minutes previous. Sakura looked up to Madara and met his eyes, her anger from before finally melting away and concern rearing its head in her heart.

"Is…" she started, eyebrows furrowing, "Is he okay?"

"He always gets like this after battling against Tobirama," Madara sighed before admitting, "It's likely he's a bit more irritable since you helped him during his fight. It was a blow to his pride, getting help from someone during a battle with his rival."

Sakura frowned, unsure of what to say, before Madara offered her a comforting smile. "Don't concern yourself too much. This will fade with time as all hurts do. I'd worry yourself more with preparing for this mission."

"I can admit I'm still worried about leaving everyone, even if it's only for a little bit. I feel…" Sakura tried to search for the right word, struggling with the thought that she could be putting the people she cared about in danger by pursuing her own goals. "...selfish for demanding to go, even though it's to help everyone too."

"I'll be here to make sure everyone is safe, same as before you arrived here. You can leave knowing everything will be the same as you left it when you return home."

Sakura simply smiled in response, her heart both swelling with joy and aching with longing as she thought of the Uchiha village as her home.

* * *

That next morning, before the sun had fully risen and while it slowly painted the horizon in shades of purple, Sakura ate a small breakfast of some fruit.

Afterwards, she changed from her sleep clothes into the pants and shirt provided by Madara and Izuna, the significance of the Uchiha clan crest displayed across her back still not lost to her. Working quickly, she secured her pant legs to her calves with long strips of bandages before maneuvering the armor gifted to her from it's stand to her body.

The now familiar weight of the finely crafted armor brought with it a sense of comfort as well as a whisper of shame that had yet to pass. Ignoring the niggling sensation of guilt, she strapped the scroll containing her axe and emergency medical supplies for the field to her lower back before finally tying her hair in a low ponytail.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, she exited her bedroom and briefly stopped next to her front door to don her shinobi sandals - shoes much more practical for battle than the geta she normally wore with her yukatas and kimonos.

It took Sakura little time to tread the familiar pathway leading up to the main household, a large home where she spotted a squadron of three armored Uchiha already waiting out front. With the sun not yet peeking over the horizon, Sakura couldn't identify the individuals in the group but, as she drew closer, she recognized a couple of familiar faces.

Although she had seen little of them since their first meeting when she cured them of their poisoning - the brief time before she had even become the Uchiha clan's healer - Katsumi and Katsurou both appeared to still be in good health. The sister's normally loose, raven colored hair was tied into a haphazard braid while the brother's short, wild locks crowned his head like a dark halo.

Another woman who Sakura did not recognize stood next to them, her chestnut hair cropped short and analytical eyes looking to her curiously. She had never treated the unfamiliar woman at her clinic so Sakura took this as a sign of the kunoichi's skill. Greeting her with a smile, she was pleased to earn an uneven but easy smile in return.

When she approached the group, the young kunoichi Katsumi turned and greeted her with a nod. "It's good to see you again, Lady Sakura."

"How have you been? It's been some time," Katsurou added on, patting Sakura on the shoulder as he drew her into the small group that had gathered.

"Things have been very good. It's nice to see you both. I trust the fact I haven't seen you in my clinic means you have been taking care of yourselves as well as Katsuo and Eiko?" Sakura asked in a friendly tone, wondering about the health of the two siblings' young brother and their mother, both of whom had helped during the poison extraction.

"Of course," the sister answered proudly with a quirk of her lips.

"We learned our lesson the hard way first time," the brother chuckled.

"That's comforting," Sakura answered before turning to regard the unfamiliar woman, "I don't believe we've met yet."

"It is no trouble, I'm rarely in the village after all. I am usually in the squadrons that are sent out on missions or with the scouts. My name is Saori. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Sakura," Saori introduced formally although a crooked smile remained on her face, "I specialize in earth jutsu and I am a sensor. I hope our mission will be fruitful and frightless."

"I hope so too. I look forward to our journey together," Sakura agreed before the sound of the fusuma nearby sliding open drew their attention.

"Good morning. I trust everyone is ready for the journey to Sora-ku?" Izuna greeted as he closed the fusuma behind him and stepped down from the engawa to approach them.

"Same as every year," Katsurou chuckled in return, earning an eye roll from his sister.

"Are there any alterations to our route this time around? Saori was mentioning how there has been a lot of shifting in the territories surrounding us these past few months," Katsumi questioned.

"We will be taking the same route as last year since the territories between here and Sora-ku itself have not moved substantially. The previous route should still be the safest available for arrival and return," Izuna detailed efficiently,

"I would like to suggest that we make a slight deviation. The mountain pass, while longer, will be much safer than the river route. During my last mission, we were forced to contend with a small strikeforce of Senju in the marshes. While I doubt their territory has expanded so far, my team and I believe it's likely they have made a deal with one of the villages in the area," Saori suggested, Izuna nodding thoughtfully in return.

"Of course. We will alter our path to take the mountain trail instead then. This will be better for both you as an earth jutsu user and for Sakura since she can more easily fight in open spaces," Izuna amended before nodding to Sakura, no sign of his previous agitation in his gesture, "As I'm sure you've all noticed: our group is much smaller than last year. This is because Sakura will be accompanying us in order to gather medicinal supplies while we're in the city."

The others in the group nodded in understanding, Katsurou patting Sakura on the back and grinning at her.

"Madara and I have decided to keep as many reinforcements here at home as we could to protect the village during our absence. Same as last time, our journey should take five days: two days to arrive, one to barter, and two to return," Izuna explained succinctly, "Are there any concerns you wish to discuss before our departure?"

"Nothing we can't deal with if it makes the mistake of challenging us!" Katsurou declared loudly, Katsumi smirking at his side. Even Sakura couldn't help but smile, the joke dissolving the formal air and making her feel more comfortable.

"Very well then," Izuna chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, "Let's move."

* * *

With the name of the mission being stealth as opposed to strength, the journey to Sora-ku was entirely uneventful. With the sensor Saori helping navigate them around threats, they faced no troubles during the first leg of their mission. For this journey, it was more important to remain unnoticed so that there were no ambushes awaiting them while they returned home with their purchased goods.

On the first night, they camped out in the mountains in a network of caves that Saori had utilized once before with her team. Sakura found herself enormously grateful for the kunoichi's presence since her being on the team made the trek astoundingly comfortable. Not only was she a talented sensor but she was a spectacular cook. After sending them all out to forage, she was able to cook a phenomenal stew with the scant ingredients they returned with.

The next day was much the same as the first with Saori leading them around potential obstacles and with little more than a handful of words being shared between the otherwise silent group. It wasn't until near dusk that they finally descended from the mountains and into a deserted, craggy plain.

Their surroundings were entirely lifeless for miles around and, at first, Sakura was confused when Izuna had declared that they had arrived. It wasn't until she felt the niggling sensation at the back on her neck that Sakura realized that they were caught in a genjutsu, something she confirmed with her companions all having their sharingans activated

Feeling the gentle tugging of the spider web like net of the concealing jutsu, Sakura immediately altered the flow of chakra in her body to break the illusion's hold. As she did, the vision of an endless, barren wasteland fell away, instead revealing a flourishing city.

Enormously tall buildings sat in the center of the sprawling city, the towering structures unlike any she had seen during this time but more than familiar for her own. Lights shone brightly in the windows of the homes and businesses that laid ahead and, even from this distance, she could hear the tune of far away music and voices.

This thriving village looked nothing like the abandoned city in her time. This place was teeming with life, people, and activity while the village in her time was desolate, dark, and near empty.

As Sakura gazed out at the prosperous city before her, the small flame of hope within her flared even larger.

Sakura and her group continued forward towards Sora-ku, following behind Izuna, before their leader came to a sudden stop. Pausing, they all watched as a shinobi emerged from the earth to stand before them as seamlessly as if he had been one with the craggy rock itself. The stranger was dressed in traditional, earthy colored clothes with layers of gilded armor strapped over top.

"Ah, Lord Izuna. It is good to see you again," the man greeted with a smile that showed off a missing canine, "I was wondering who was able to breech our genjutsu barrier so easily. It makes sense that it would be a sharingan weilder. You _do_ know it's polite to knock first, yes?"

"Hello, Doi, it's good to see you are well," Izuna returned before grinning mischievously, "Well, perhaps missing more teeth than my last visit but still in good spirits at least."

Doi cackled loudly in response, surprising Sakura with his reaction to Izuna's barb, "As heartless as always, I see. I'll have you know I lost it in a bet."

"It's good to see that at least your humor is still intact," Izuna chuckled, "We're not here to chat though. We're here on business. Is the Queen Usugumo available tonight?"

"Hmm, perhaps," Doi replied, eyeing Sakura and the rest of her team, "I see you brought far less people with you this time. Do you have a smaller order to place? You know what less spending means."

"Absolutely not. What we lack in people we make up for in strength. I will be placing the same order as last year with a few additions."

"Ah, not a larger one? Are the Uchiha cribs not outnumbering the Uchiha coffins nowadays?" the man taunted, his grin sharpening, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised with the bloodbath at Biei. Good business for us though."

The smile remained on Izuna's face but it did not meet his eyes, the only thing settled there instead being a palpable bloodlust that heated the air around them, "I suggest you mind your manners, Doi. I'd hate for you to lose more than teeth."

Clucking his tongue once, Doi's smirk only widened, "Well, well, come right this way then."

* * *

Doi lead Sakura and the rest of her group into Sora-ku without hesitation, beelining straight for the center of his village. As they entered the outskirts and began their trek into the heart of the city, Sakura noticed a very clear class system quickly take shape.

The outer reaches of the village contained the working class, as if a buffer between the outside world and the inner core of the city. The further they entered, the wealthier the citizens and businesses appeared to get. Even the heights of the buildings increased as if a direct reflection of the affluence of their residents. At the center of the village, looming over all the other buildings in the city, Sakura spotted the tower she suspected they would be taken to to meet this merchant queen.

As they walked among the citizens of Sora-ku, children and adults alike looked to them with little more than a fleeting curiosity. There was no caution in their expressions, their brief interest reflecting little more than a readily passing fancy. It was this observation alongside the eerie sensation of numerous eyes upon her - a feeling that Sakura hadn't experienced since she first found herself in the jungles the cat summons called home - that informed Sakura that they were under hidden guard.

Sakura had no doubt that, if any of them made the wrong move, the hidden army watching from the towering buildings above them and flaking earth beneath them would attack without a moment's hesitation. The further they got into the city, the heavier the gazes upon her became.

Affirming Sakura's previous guess, Doi led them to the tallest building in the center of the city, the tower painted a bright shade of yellow and decorated in detailed portraits of supernatural creatures known for bringing wealth. Passing through the sliding doors and into a vast, grandly decorated hall, he guided them up a winding staircase to the highest floor of what Sakura was beginning to suspect was more of a castle than an office.

They traveled down a lengthy hallway decorated with plush carpet, lavish ornaments, and sprawling tapestries before Doi finally stopped before another set of sliding doors. The doors themselves were decorated in an intricate painting of a crane but, when Sakura took a closer look, she realized that the lines of the intricate bird were painted with gold.

Uncomfortable with the wasteful displays of wealth, Sakura found herself already cautious of the person they would be making bartering with that day. Even more so, she found a revulsion building within her when she compared the extravagant opulence of the merchant queen's castle to the modest homes of the citizens in the outskirts of the city.

With a flourish, Doi opened the doors to his ruler's chambers, revealing the extravagantly decorated room within.

The room itself was nearly bare of furniture, the walls of the open space instead decorated in intricate tapestries that hung from the ceiling and billowed out onto the floor. Numerous windows lined the back wall, bathing the warm colored room in the light of the setting sun.

At the center of the room sat a section of tatami flooring cut into the shape of a sunburst. Within the sunburst sat Queen Usugumo herself, perched upon a throne of pillows and blankets, bright shocks of colors and patterns surrounding her.

The middle aged woman was dressed in a fine kimono the color of honey, the numerous golden embellishments and lace in the cloth making her glitter in the sunlight filtering in from behind her. Her midnight hair was waxed into flawless rolls, not a single strand out of place in her intricate style. An ornate golden headdress was perched on her head, strings of shimmering gemstones trailing down from what very much appeared to be a crown.

She was offhandedly inspecting a finely cut ruby the size of her fist, as disinterested in the priceless stone as she was with the numerous gems that were littered around her throne of blankets.

"Queen Usugumo," Doi greeted dramatically as he bowed so deeply that Sakura wondered if he is teasing his monarch. She didn't receive her answer when Usugumo looked up, a gentle smile spread across her crimson painted lips.

"Izuna Uchiha," she purred in greeting as she tossed the ruby behind her, now uninterested in the priceless bouble which joined the rest in her cloth throne, "It has been some time, has it not?"

"It has been merely a year, Queen Usugumo," Izuna answered as Doi stepped back, stationing himself against the wall and watching silently.

"How many times must I tell you? Call me Usugumo," she scolded lightly, waving her hand - tipped with meticulously manicured nails - with a breathy laugh.

"You know how I am. Always with the formalities," he replied, Sakura easily sensing how uncomfortable he was with the flirtatious interaction.

"You never were much fun," Usugumo sighed before her gaze snapped to the others in the group, lingering on Sakura for a long moment, "I see you've brought a new friend… Although far less companions than your previous visit."

"I assume this won't be a problem for business."

"Only if you've brought the proper payment." Usugumo's gaze sharpened like a predator who had sighted their prey, the greed and lust in her eyes making Sakura's skin crawl.

Before Izuna could reply, a doorway which had been hidden among the tapestries hanging from the walls swung open, a young girl rushing out with a stuffed animal in tow. The ragged doll was so worn and dirty that Sakura couldn't even identify what it was supposed to be. The child held a smooth river rock in her hand like a trophy, holding it out in front of her as she sped up to Usugumo's throne.

"Mother, I found you a treasure! It was so pretty, sitting in the dry riverbed. I knew you would love it!" the young girl declared, presenting her mother with the stone with a bright smile. The elder woman grimaced at the gift as she held her hands up as if to ward off her own daughter.

"Maneki, I'm in the middle-" Usugumo began to scold before her eyes fell upon the simple orange yukata that her child wore, her expression twisting in revulsion, "What are you _wearing_?"

"I… It's just clothes. I think they're pretty. I like the color orange and I don't like the kimonos you give me. They're-" Maneki tried before her mother interrupted.

"I have told you time and time again, you must wear what I give you. You look like a commoner, strutting about in those rags, not the trophy you are. I will not have my precious daughter looking so dull," she reprimanded, speaking to her daughter as if she was little more than a prize to be shown off.

"But mother! I can't play with the other children in them! My friends always-"

"Your _friends_? You don't have any friends, my little jewel. You aren't like them. You are gold among lead. A diamond among charcoal. The brightest star among the darkness of the night sky! You are of the highest breeding, my ultimate treasure," she praised lavishly, brushing her hand against her child's cheek, before continuing in just as sweet a tone, "You are already worthless at every task I give you to prove your usefulness. The least you can do is look beautiful."

At her harsh words, hot rage flared within Sakura.

"B-but-" Maneki stuttered, her eyes beginning to water.

"But nothing. I will not have you _playing_ with the common children and sullying yourself even further. I sacrificed my flawless body to create you, I will not have you a useless rock among my gems. Do you understand?"

"Mommy, I just-" she whimpered, a tear slipping down her cheeks as she clutched her ragged doll and the river rock she had found to her chest.

"And do _not_ call me such a term. I am your mother or your queen and you will refer to me as such. Furthermore, how many times have I told you to discard that disgusting toy of yours?" Usugumo continued before gesturing to Doi, "Doi! Do your job and take that filthy garbage from her. Burn it if you must, just get it out of my sight."

"No! I don't want to give up Lady Kitty!" Maneki yelled, finally finding her voice, as Doi pushed off of the wall and walked over to her.

"I'm sorry, princess, but I gotta take it," Doi apologized, shrugging with a sympathetic wince as he approached, the girl backing up and looking up at him with watery eyes.

Unable to stand by silently anymore, Sakura finally stepped forward to intervene, the anger clawing at the insides of her chest making her blood burn. It was Izuna who reached out, roughly grabbing her by her upper arm to stop her. Sakura whipped around and her eyes met Izuna's sharingan-bright gaze, her lips pulled back over her teeth as she prepared to snarl something at her companion.

Before either of them could speak, an explosion in the distance stole the attention of everyone in the room.

Doi stopped in his advancing on Maneki as his gaze whipped to the windows overlooking the city, the young girl turning tail and fleeing through the hidden door she had come in from. He rapidly strode up to the wall of windows to observe the rising cloud of smoke in the distance, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He only turned away to glance to where Maneki had run off and to look to his queen.

When another explosion sounded in the distance, the cloud of black smoke that rose this time was closer that the first.

"Doi!" Usugumo yelled, a poorly concealed anxiety in her tone, "Handle this!"

"Yes, my queen," he replied quickly before disappearing into the floor without another word.

Izuna reached out and placed a much more gentle hand on Sakura's shoulder, breaking her concentration and drawing her gaze back to him and their squad.

"Let's go," he instructed, Sakura glancing over at the merchant queen one final time before looking back to him and nodding once.

In a flash of speed, Sakura, Izuna, and the rest of their strikeforce disappeared, abandoning Usugumo in her glittering throne room, alone.

* * *

 _A/N: Hemlock and White Snakeroot are two deadly plants that are both visually similar to the harmless Alyssum. Wolfsbane and the Bearded Iris are two plants with similar purple flowers with Wolfsbane being highly toxic. There are different kinds of Nightshade all over the world, some being astoundingly dangerous while others are edible if prepared correctly._

 _Saori means "the color of sand". I gave her this name because she specializes in earth jutsus. Doi means "mountain or earth" and he has this name because he also specializes in earth jutsu. He is one of the Merchant Queen's hired guard captains and a runaway from a clan that will eventually form Iwagakure. Doi says he lost his tooth in a bet as a joke but he actually lost it as punishment for allowing the princess to "mingle with the rabble". He's the closest thing that Maneki has to a parent with Usugumo treating her more as a treasure than her child. As such, he took the unreasonable punishment from the queen instead of being fired (under the pretense that he cared more about his high salary than being separated from the princess)._

 _Maneki is named after the Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat). They are considered to bring good fortune and are depicted by the statues that you can frequently find in shops. She was named such by her mother since she is her greatest treasure and a token of good fortune._

 _Usugumo means "light cloud" and this name is taken from one of many legends involving the Maneki Neko. In the story, Usugumo was a famous courtesan who she loved her tortoiseshell cat (sometimes named "Tama" for it's love of balls) so much that she carried them with her all the time. She loved the cat so much that people began to spread rumors that she was possessed by a cat. While there are many variations to the story, there comes a time where Tama tries to alert Usugumo to something and where Usugumo's master thinks that she is being attacked. Her master kills the cat but, as a final act of love, the cat's severed head kills a venomous snake lying in wait to protect Usugumo. Sometimes the story describes the master commissioning a woodcarver to make a lifelike imitation of Tama, something that resulted in a mass production and popularization of cat statues as bringers of good luck._

 _Also, interestingly enough, Tamaki (the name of the cat in the legend with "ki" added to the end) is the name of Nekobaa's granddaughter in canon._


	26. Proposal

_AN: Happy MadaSaku Day everyone!_

* * *

As Sakura, Izuna, and the rest of their group rushed out into the city streets, they were immediately greeted with a flurry of panicked civilians and armed shinobi. Following the tide of soldiers rushing out to where the explosions had occurred, twin billows of pitch black smoke guiding them all, they could hear the sounds of battle growing closer and closer.

Sakura spotted as a handful of soldiers broke off from the main path, pursuing a few invaders who had infiltrated the front line that she could see growing at the edge of the city. Her and her teammates had to skirt around a dozen corpses already strewn about the street - the mangled bodies of innocent civilians, Sora-ku shinobi, and invading soldiers interspersed between demolished vending carts, partially collapsed buildings, and dead oxen.

A section of the city street was destroyed, the ground unearthed and painted black with soot. The tarry smoke was so thick that it was difficult to breath, black ash raining from the sky and coating their clothes and hair. A fire burned hotly at the apex of the destruction, water-users struggling to battle the rapidly spreading blaze as well as the invading force.

From within the burning rubble, Sakura could hear screaming.

Slowing in her run, she decided to stay at the site of the fires, intending on helping the trapped civilians. Not only would her medical ninjutsu be at its most useful here, healing and evacuating civilians, but the water ninjutsu she had spent the last year cultivating would be critical in helping combat the blaze.

When she began to slow, her plan evident, she felt a rough hand on her shoulder pushing her onward. Turning her head with a scowl, she faced Izuna.

"Sora-ku can handle the evacuation effort. Where they need you the most is on the battlefield. We need to protect those who are evacuating," Izuna explained quickly, his sharingan bright eyes burning into hers.

When she opened her mouth to argue, the anguished screams from beneath the rubble growing louder as they passed by the burning ruins, Izuna's expression tightened and he added, "We need to turn them back here and now before they spread out into the city and massacre thousands. They need you with us on the front lines."

Sakura's mouth snapped shut, her eyebrows furrowing before she nodded sharply. Despite being desperate to rescue and tend to the victims trapped in the rubble, she knew that Izuna had a point. If the invading force broke through Sora-ku's defenses and got into the city, thousands would perish.

Finally breaking through the smokescreen as they rushed towards the battlefield, Sakura finally saw the severity of the assault. Sora-ku wasn't facing an attack, they were facing an invasion. Hundreds of shinobi marched forward against the city, all of them adorned in a dozen different clan crests that she did not recognize.

"Heads up!" Saori screamed from behind them, rapidly running through a string of hand signs before slamming her foot into the ground.

When Sakura looked upwards, she had just enough time to catch sight of a barrage of boulders raining down from the sky before a dome of rock rose from the ground and surrounded them. One of the massive stones slammed into the rock shield, the sound of earth colliding with earth sounding more like a lightning bolt had hit the ground right next to her.

The rest of the barrage of boulders rained down on the city surrounding them, the sounds of buildings collapsing and the sounds of injured people muffled by the dome.

When Saori released her jutsu, the shield returning into the earth, Sakura's eyes widened at the sheer breadth of destruction surrounding them. The Edge of the city had been utterly destroyed, buildings and people crushed beneath thousands of tons of stone. Dust, ash, and screams filled the air in equal measure, clogging her lungs and clenching her heart.

Sakura didn't need to face Izuna to know his orders, her eyes instead turning back to the still waging battle at the edge of the city as she began to run. She could feel as Izuna and the rest of their group ran at her sides but, more than anything, Sakura could feel as white hot rage grew in her chest like an open fire.

The people of this city were _innocents_. These bastards had killed dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people. And for what? The wealth hoarded away in the center of the city by a narcissistic monarch?

Sakura would put an end to this invasion even if she had to do so with her own two hands.

Channeling chakra into her feet and into her hands, Sakura used a chakra enhanced leap to bound over the front line and into the swarm of soldiers behind. Rearing back her fist, she released a scream of rage as she descended upon the attackers beneath her.

The men and women raised their weapons and their fists to meet her attack head on, shocked by her assault but not intimidated. Someone in the crowd produced an earth shield similar to the one that Saori had manifested earlier but the jutsu did nothing to stop the enraged kunoichi.

Breaking through the stone defense as if the rock was little more than paper, the dome crumpled beneath her strike. Continuing in her descent, she broke through the flimsy guard of a startled soldier before her fist met the earth underneath them all.

The ground cratered beneath her, the earth sinking downwards as she and a handful of her foes disappeared into the darkness beneath the stone dome. There was a single heartbeat before the crater exploded around her.

Stone splintered into jagged spears that rose to the sky in deadly pillars, dozens of enemy shinobi being swept away by the lethal wave of broken earth. Dirt erupted upwards in a cloud, shards of shield and rock rocketing into the sky and raining down upon the battlefield like a sandstorm. The very earth trembled beneath her knuckles as the sand cleared, the light of the setting sun breaking through the destruction and shining down upon the sole surviving kunoichi in the heart of the carnage.

Sakura rose to her feet, unaware of the eyes of a hundred ninja that gazed upon her with looks of shock and awe as well as fear and bloodlust.

"Who's next!?" Sakura roared, a resounding battle cry erupting from behind her as the vanguard advanced. They took advantage of the upper hand she had given them all to put distance between the rescue crews rescuing injured citizens behind them and the war raging on in front of them.

Sakura rushes forward with the tide of soldiers, Izuna, Katsumi, and Katsurou joining her in her charge forward. Saori lingered behind, taking a page from the enemy's book and using her jutsu to lob boulders over the enemy lines. The slabs of earth slammed down onto the long distance soldiers in the back of the army who had launched the bombardment of boulders that had destroyed the edge of the city.

With her team beside her, Sakura and her strikeforce easily found their place among the offensive and fighting back against the marauders. Her and Izuna joined the fray with the ease of warriors who had fought a thousand battles, the field surrounding them adjusting to compensate for their extraordinary power. Weaker opponents diverted around them, giving them a wide berth as they made room for shinobi would thought they could hold their own against the two titans.

As the bloodshed continued unimpeded - her and Izuna alone protecting this part of the decimated city - Sakura fell into the heart pounding rhythm of war. Izuna remained strong at her back, showing none of his earlier upset with her as they moved seamlessly together. The negative emotions of the past did nothing to stagger their steps as they challenged the oncoming hoard of attacking shinobi, Sakura focusing on little more than the battlefield around her, Izuna behind her, and the feeling of armor, flesh, and bone crumbling beneath her fists.

"Incoming barrage!" Izuna roared from behind her, expertly parrying a downward strike from an enemy spearman before following the line of his opponents weapon with his katana and burying his blade in their throat.

Wrenching his weapon from his stunned foe, he rapidly strung together a handful of seals before breathing a blast of fire that engulfed three oncoming attackers in an inferno that felt more like an explosion with it's sheer power.

Watching as another barrage of boulders arched high in the sky, beginning their descent towards her and her partner, Sakura slammed her foot into the ground beneath her. Pulling a slab of stone from the earth beneath them, Sakura grabbed onto the edges of the jagged circle of rock, the stone cracking beneath her grip. Spinning in a circle to gain momentum, a battle cry erupting from her chest, she lobbed the slab into the sky.

Her makeshift projectile and the boulder descending upon them met in the air, her thrown weapon knocking the enemy's attack off its trajectory. Instead of the thrown jutsu landing in the city behind them, it dropped into the enemy ranks ahead of them, crushing a handful of attacking shinobi beneath it's great weight. Her own slab rocketed off into the distance, nearly smashing into the long distance attackers in the enemy's rearguard.

Sakura's eyes flicked across the battlefield, noting dozens of her allies doing much the same, launching jutsu of their own to guard against the oncoming barrage or erecting barriers to protect the city and its inhabitants. Even with Sora-ku shinobi defending against the bombardment, a few boulders sailed through their defenses, slamming into the city and destroying more buildings.

It was after one of these boulders flew over her and Izuna's heads and rocketed into one of the apartments behind them that Sakura heard a child scream. Finally tearing her eyes away from the battle surrounding her, she looked behind her, finding a small girl in an orange dress, her leg trapped beneath rubble from the collapsed building. The child appeared to have been hiding behind a stack of now crushed wooden crates, the young girl having been trapped near the battlefield by the wreckage the city had become following the first volley of boulders.

When Sakura's gaze locked onto a small, unrecognizable doll that was lost in the dirt behind the girl, her heart dropping into her stomach.

"It's the princess! Capture h-!" one of her opponents cried out before Sakura rushed forward in a burst of chakra induced speed, slamming her fist into her chest and silencing her forever.

Nothing she could do could take back what the woman had said, all of the opponents surrounding her and Izuna turning their gazes to Maneki. The battlefield surrounding them erupted into chaos, the invaders turning their attention away from her and Izuna and instead barreling down onto the sobbing little girl trapped beneath the wreckage.

Sakura chased after the soldiers who skirted around her and charged towards the injured princess. Desperation rushed through her alongside the chakra that she focused into her legs and her fists as she raced after, striking down each opponent one by one as they grew closer and closer to Maneki. After dispatching the final opponent between her and the young girl, Sakura continued to sprint towards her, intent on releasing her from the rubble and taking her to safety within the city.

Izuna was close behind her, the Uchiha frantically rushing through the hand signs needed to throw up a wall of flame in a frenzied gambit to protect the princess. There was a handful of heartbeats before a powerful water jutsu doused Izuna's fire, dozens of marauders pouring through the broken barrier and racing towards Sakura and Maneki. Even with his speed and his sharingan, a handful of foes slipped passed him, barreling towards Sakura with weapons raised and bloodlust in their eyes.

Sakura glanced behind her once, knowing that the rubble that had trapped the princess would be hazardous to remove all at once. She needed time to delicately extract the girl from the ruins. Time she did not have with enemies rushing towards her.

When Maneki looked up at her, her watery, frightened gaze meeting Sakura's eyes, she hardened her resolve. Her fist tightened at her sides, her leather gloves creaking beneath the strain, as she turned to face the oncoming attackers with a look of malice and focus. No one would hurt Maneki.

Sakura released her seal.

Nothing compared to the sheer, unadulterated power that surged through her body like liquid fire as the thick black lines of her seal spread across her forehead and spanned across her body. Sakura had released an incomplete seal once before during the battle against the Senju strikeforce at the Nakano holdings - the kunoichi having been desperate for the chakra needed to save not only the lives of those in the village but her own - but this was different.

It was only during her stay with the Uchiha that she had been given the time and opportunity she needed to complete her seal. After years of funneling chakra into the limitless reservoir within her, she had finally instilled enough chakra to stabilize the seal. She had yet to find a reason to draw upon what she thought was just a reserve but, after finally opening the dam on the ocean of chakra within her, she was startled by the sheer amount of power that rushed through her body.

Every muscle, every nerve, every inch of skin _sung_ as she ran through a set of hand signs before nipping the tip of her finger.

"Summoning jutsu!" Sakura roared as she slammed her hand onto the craggy earth.

A massive seal shot across the ground around her, dozens of feet of ink black kanji shooting outward before being concealed by an enormous burst of smoke. The battlefield stood still, all of the combatants freezing as they spotted the enormous plume of smoke engulfing the edge of the city. All was silent around her for a heartbeat before a roar like thunder stole the attention of everyone on the battlefield, a massive leopard erupting from the cloud of smoke.

Hyo snarled as he descended upon the approaching foes, his razor sharp claws tearing through not one but three opponents, blood and viscera spraying across the ground as he tore his opponents and the earth to shreds with his mighty attack. The earth quaked under the power of his strike, nearby foes losing their balance before losing their lives as Hyo mercilessly pounced.

In a burst of speed Sakura had never seen in a summon, the leopard sprinted out into the heart of the oncoming army, tearing through the attackers with a swiftness and a lethality that made her heart race. Those who weren't outright crushed beneath his enormous paws were knocked aside by the gust of wind his incredible speed and size produced.

As the dozens of enemies who had been blown back by Hyo's charge finally returned to their feet, their eyes trained on the summoner, Sakura tore the scroll from her lower back. Letting it fly open in her hands, she ran her open palm across the thick paper, a smaller plume of smoke erupting and revealing her axe.

As she returned her scroll to her back, the supplies within unneeded for the moment, Izuna appeared at her side, his mangekyo sharingan bearing down on those who dared to face them.

"I've got your back!" Izuna declared with a scowl, his hands tightening around the hilt of his katana as Sakura settled the weight of her axe onto her shoulders.

"Let's put an end to this," Sakura hissed as part of the army turned onto her and Izuna, dozens of men and women directing their bloodlust at the only two people standing between them and the princess.

"Let's," he growled in return as the enemy shinobi descended upon them in unison.

Sakura and Izuna didn't move an inch as they held their ground, protecting Maneki who remained trapped behind them. Wielding her axe with grace and unheard of lethality, Sakura cut a swath through the oncoming hoard. Some shinobi she batted away with the flat side of her weapon while others were welcomed by its far more lethal edge. The ground around her rapidly grew wet with the blood of her fallen foes, men and women alike greeting death at the hands of the kunoichi.

Izuna, using his mangekyo sharingan, seamlessly cast genjutsu that turned opponent against their own allies, creating a small strikeforce of their own that unwillingly threw down their lives against their own comrades. He released deadly fire jutsu the likes of which Sakura had never seen, his techniques so powerful that his flames burned blue.

Sakura had never been more entranced by a jutsu than by the brilliant blue flames of Izuna's techniques. She had never seen a technique so powerful and beautiful nor had she seen her friend so deadly.

Their enemies continued to push them, desperate to kill the summoner of the leopard leaving a trail of carnage through their army and desperate to make the sacrifices of their comrades worth something by kidnapping the princess. The crowd continued to attack, searching for any opening to sneak around them. Sakura and Izuna remained back to back, not giving an inch even as corpses continued to add to the growing semi circle of bodies surrounding them.

When an enemy finally broke through their line, it was Izuna with his mangekyo sharingan that spotted him. Rushing after the stray foe before he could sneak around them to take the princess, he left a hole in their defenses. Sakura backed up, trying to create a fatal funnel by using the edges of the partially collapsed buildings on either side of her. Although her plan to file her enemies towards her succeeded, she was far too close to the buildings to use her enhanced strength, the risk of crushing Maneki beneath even more rubble far too great.

Even with her seal giving her such unbridled power, Sakura was at a disadvantage. When a kunai tied to a paper bomb landed at her feet, Sakura was too busy parrying an opponent to leap away. As she watched the tag ignite, she flooded her entire body with chakra, heightening her durability to survive the point blank explosion.

She hadn't expected them to throw away their lives so carelessly…

The paper bomb detonated with an explosion of white, blinding her as it rocketed her backwards. Sakura slammed into the stone wall of one of the buildings, losing the breath in her lungs as she fell to the ground. Shaking off her stunned state, she looked up from her new position next to Maneki in the heart of the rubble.

Her ears were still ringing as her eyes fell upon a handful of men and women rapidly sprinting passed where she had once stood and towards Maneki who looked upwards with utter terror etched into her tear streaked face.

As if in slow motion, Sakura scrambled to her feet, dragging her axe behind her as she moved to stand between the princess and the hoard. Gritting her teeth, her hand tightened around the handle of her weapon before she raised it high, the kunoichi rushing forward to meet the assault once again.

She took one step then two before Hyo appeared in a flash, placing himself between them and the oncoming army. The earth shook beneath his enormous weight as he landed, the buildings trembling and people falling to their knees. His massive form swallowed up all of the space that lead into the demolished alleyway, blocking the marauders and the last rays of light from the setting sun.

Hyo released a roar, his face twisted in fury and his body covered in the blood of a hundred foes. The air shook with the power of his voice, like thunder rending the very air itself.

The strikeforce immediately came to a halt at the sight of the boss summon, fear painting every one of their faces as they skittered backwards. There was only a moment of hesitation as the shinobi looked from Hyo to Sakura and then to Izuna behind her before a voice screamed in the distance, "Retreat!"

Without a second of hesitation, the dozens of shinobi who had been descending upon Sakura turned tail and fled, joining their other surviving allies as they ran.

Taking a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, Sakura settled her axe back onto her shoulder before finally turning to kneel next to the young girl.

"Are you okay, Princess Maneki?" she asked, confusion slowly growing as she looked down at her.

Maneki's tears had dried, nothing remaining but shiny tear tracks on her reddened cheeks. Her bloodshot eyes were wide as she stared up at Hyo, her mouth open in shock. She didn't even appear to be in pain even with her leg still trapped beneath the stone of a collapsed home.

Hyo finally turned away from the retreating army, his expression was soft as he gazed down at the princess. The final rays of the setting sun snuck passed him, back lighting his massive form and lighting up the princess's awe-struck face in a golden glow.

Even surrounded by the mangled bodies of dozens of men and women, even with her broken leg pinned beneath tons of rubble, even with the trauma she must have faced with her city being destroyed around her… As Maneki looked up at Hyo, her eyes sparkling with wonder, she smiled.

* * *

After delicately recovering Maneki from the rubble of the building, Sakura used the still exhilarating power of her seal to aid in the healing of the young girl's crushed leg. A critical injury that would normally take months to heal and that would have left her with a limp for the rest of her life was mended flawlessly in little more than a few minutes.

Maneki remained distracted even as her own bones and flesh were realigned at astonishing speed. Instead, her eyes remained transfixed on Hyo, the boss summon politely waiting to speak with Sakura before he departed. The massive leopard busied himself by cleaning his bloodied fur, his face and one gigantic paw already clear of crimson.

At first, she was concerned that the princess was experiencing an acute stress reaction, that the trauma of what had happened to her had placed her into a state of shock. However, when the young girl responded to her questions and reacted to pain and other stimuli appropriately, Sakura realized that the young girl was simply _fascinated_ by Hyo. As if she could blame the girl.

Sakura glanced behind her, watching as Hyo continued to lick the blood of his foes from his mussed fur before pausing briefly to yawn, his enormous mouth opening and revealing rows of razor sharp teeth bigger than she was.

He was an incredible sight to see.

It was shortly after Sakura finished healing Maneki's leg that Doi arrived, sprinting up to the princess and falling to his knees, his usually aloof expression betraying his deep concern.

"Princess! Are you okay? Were you hurt?" the man questioned frantically, her eyes lingering on the blood staining the hem of Maneki's skirts.

"She's okay now. She was caught in some debris during the battle, the rubble crushing her leg," Sakura began, Doi's expression twisting in horror, "I was able to heal it though and she should have no lingering effects from the injury."

"Doi, you should have seen it! Do you see the cat over there! This nice lady and her cat saved me! And the man with the red eyes too! It was amazing!" Maneki gushed suddenly with a thrill befitting the child she was, speaking more in that moment than she had when Sakura had tended to her.

"They… saved you?" he asked, turning his attention to Sakura briefly before realization spread across his face and he whipped back to face her, "What on earth were you even doing out here?! Why did you run so close to The Edge during an attack?! What's wrong with you, don't you know how worried I was?!"

The excitement in her face faded as she looked down at the ground, wringing her hands and refusing to meet Doi's eyes.

"I just… my best friend Chieko lives in The Edge and-and I didn't want you to take Lady Kitty and I thought I'd be safe with her but..." she babbled, tears building in her eyes as she tried to explain herself, "When I got here, her and her mommy were already gone and when I tried to run back home, their house blew up and blocked the way and I tried to hide b-but then a rock came from the sky and hit their shop and p-please don't be angry, I just-"

Lurching forward, Doi dragged the now crying little girl into his arms, holding her tightly to her chest as she began to sob into his stained armor.

"Neki… I'm not angry at you. I'm _scared_ ," he whispered into her dirty hair, "I was scared you were hurt or worse."

"Promise?" she sniffed, her words muffled by his armor.

"I promise I'm not angry," he affirmed, giving her one last squeeze before pulling back and giving her a stern look, the edge in his expression lost to the mist in his eyes, "If you ever run away from me like that again, I will take a tooth from you too! We'll be matching and you don't want that, do you, you little brat?"

Maneki laughed, wiping her wet cheeks and her running nose on the sleeve of her dress, "But then we'd match! I'd like that, Doi!"

The Sora-ku shinobi rolled his eyes dramatically but smiled nonetheless as he lifted the princess to her feet, turning on his heel to offer her his back. Without another word, she hopped on, looping her arms around his neck as he supported her legs. Before he turned to leave, he paused to regard Sakura who smiled in amusement up at the earth user.

"Thank you, Lady Sakura. I'll inform Queen Usugumo of your deeds today. And, uh…" Doi started before clearing his throat awkwardly, "If you could, uh, keep quiet about the water works?"

"Your secret is safe with me," she replied with a knowing look.

Doi simply nodded as he turned to leave, the man pausing once more as he spotted something a short distance away. Walking over, he retrieved Maneki's doll from the wreckage, smacking the stuffed animal against his thigh to knock off some of the dirt. Stuffing the toy into his armor for safekeeping, he glanced over at Sakura once last time before vanishing in a burst of speed.

"He's a strange man," Izuna sighed from behind her, stepping down from where he had been guarding them, his arms crossed across his chest. Although his sharingan remained active, his mangekyo had faded back into dormancy.

"He's a good dad," Sakura corrected as she closed her eyes, focusing her attention back into her seal and closing the gates on the power within her. She felt as the black lines from her seal retreated back into her forehead, leaving behind nothing but a purple sigil.

"You think the princess is the guardsman's child?"

"You don't need to be related by blood to be family," she answered with a quirk of her lips.

Before Izuna could reply, Saori, Katsumi, and Katsurou arrived, the siblings rushing forward, their eyes shining.

"Holy shit, Lady Sakura, that was amazing!" Katsumi declared loudly, surprising her with the Uchiha's child-like excitement.

"Look at that cat! He's huge! Did you see what he _did_ to the army?!" Katsurou added, his thrilled yelling matching his sister's unruly energy.

"I do have a name, Sir Uchiha," Hyo pouted, the two Uchiha jumping back before rushing forward in unison to bombard the normally stoic leopard with questions.

As the two siblings barraged the boss summon with question after question, Saori took it upon herself to pull her clansman away from the distinctly uncomfortable big cat. Izuna, however, simply buried his face in his hand, shaking his head in agitation at the ridiculous reaction of his family members. Sakura laughed as she bumped her shoulder into Izuna's, watching in amusement as Hyo slowly retreated from the Uchiha before giving her one final, pleading look and disappearing in a burst of smoke.

As the siblings released cries of disappointment, Izuna looked to Sakura from behind his hand. When their eyes met, he returned her smile.

* * *

Despite wanting to stay behind and help with the recovery efforts, Izuna convinced Sakura that they first needed to speak with Queen Usugumo before doing what they willed in her city. As a group, they all headed to the tower in the center of the city, the squad being welcomed into the building by grateful shinobi who remained on guard following the attack.

When they entered Usugumo's chambers, they found her in the same place she had been when they left. This time, however, Doi kneeled in front of her, the woman's expression focused as she listened to what he was saying. When the door slid open, she glanced up at her visitors before her painted lips spread into a wide smile.

"Ah, just the people I wanted to see!" she declared, "Izuna and... Sakura, was it?"

"Yes, Queen Usugumo," Sakura replied diplomatically.

"Such a pretty name and such pretty hair for someone so bestial on the battlefield," the queen returned, her compliments sounding more like half veiled insults, "You have my gratitude for rescuing my daughter, Sakura. Name what it is that you both desire as payment for rescuing my ultimate treasure."

"Half off of our order and a twenty percent discount on all of our future orders," Izuna immediately decided.

"Done!" she replied with a wave of her hand, as if the financial hit was nothing, "Sakura?"

"I need space time jutsu," Sakura answered bluntly, the elder woman tilting her head although the doll-like smile didn't leave her face, "I'm a healer, as you know. I've been working on crafting a specialized jutsu and I need information about space time jutsu to complete it."

"You are a… unique woman, dear Sakura," Usugumo chuckled before leaning back into her throne of pillows, "I recently received a curious scroll about an experimental jutsu that was provided to me by another customer. They faced the Uzumaki in combat and one of the rewards delivered to them from their corpses was a scroll that just might be of assistance to you."

Sakura's heart leapt in her chest.

"I believe that the _exceedingly_ valuable and rare piece would suit your demand quite well, don't you think?" she continued with a predatory smile.

Despite her hesitance at Usugumo's tone, Sakura answered, "That is acceptable."

"Very well. I will-" the Merchant Queen began before the door Maneki had entered in before the attack once again swung open and the young princess rushed in.

"How many times must I tell you?" Usugumo immediately began to scold, no happier to see her daughter after her miraculous survival than she was when she interrupted their meeting earlier that day.

When Maneki rushed forward this time, it wasn't to her mother's side. Instead, it was to Sakura. The confused woman looked down at her as she gazed up at her with a determined look in her eyes.

"Yes, princess?" Sakura asked, not sure what else to say.

"Let me work with your cats too, please!" she requested, Sakura's expression immediately twisting in utter confusion.

" _What_?"

"Maneki! Stop this foolishness and return to you quarters _immediately_!" the queen roared, her calm facade slipping as her daughter addressed the kunoichi so informally.

"No!" Maneki screamed in return as she spun to face her, her mother starting in shock.

"Maneki, you will do as I say!"

"No, mother, I won't! I can't! I can't be your treasure! I don't know how to be a trophy! I don't like the dresses and the jewelry and the parties and I can't be pretty for you!" she yelled, everyone in the room stunned into silence.

"I can't be what you want, I never make you happy! But I-I can be what the city needs! I want to fight like her! I want to save everyone like she saved me! I want to be like her and work with the cats to keep everyone safe!"

A long silence filled the room, nothing breaking the stunned quiet but Maneki's panting as she stared at her mother. Instead of speaking, Usugumo began to laugh mockingly.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking? You want to be a ninja? You want to debase yourself to a life of service instead of the life of a princess?" she scoffed.

"Yes!" Maneki shot back, nodding her head fiercely.

"You want to protect the city instead of live a life here where you will have everything you could ever want?"

"What I want is to help everyone!"

"You would die for these people you've never even met?"

"I never met her and she protected me!"

Usugumo stared down her daughter, the young princess not backing down as she returned her mother's intense look. Her hands formed into fists at her side and she stood taller instead, not allowing herself to be frightened by her mother's glare.

The merchant queen smiled, the breath leaving her daughter's puffed up chest in a surprised burst.

"Sakura," the woman called out, the kunoichi finally looking up from the young girl, "I have a proposition for you."

"Um… yes?"

"These summoning contracts you shinobi hold are the most valuable thing a ninja has right next to their bloodline traits and their life, yes?"

"That's right."

"Making a deal involving one would cost something so incredible that it would do nothing less than change the world, wouldn't you agree?" she asked vaguely, her words doing little more than amplify Sakura's confusion.

Sakura looked to Izuna, seeing her hesitation mirrored there, before turning back to Queen Usugumo and nodding. "I suppose?"

Standing for the first time since Sakura had met her, Usugumo rose to her feet. The many layers of her extravagant kimono billowed to the floor as her arms spread to her sides in a dramatic gesture. She laughed as her expression became sharp around the edges, her gaze predatory as she stared down at Sakura and her companions.

"Changing the world sounds like it could be quite profitable!" she declared, excitement in her eyes before she offered, "Here is my proposition: If you allow my daughter to sign the contract with your feline summons, Sora-ku will supply the Uchiha clan and the Uchiha clan only for as long as we both remain living."

Sakura's eyes widened, recognizing the severity of what the Merchant Queen had just offered her: a deal which could save the lives of hundreds of Uchiha and which would give them a monumental advantage over the other clans. A deal which could very well change the world.

A deal which already existed during her time.

"Of course, as our sole shinobi allies, I would expect the Uchiha to provide us with a strikeforce to defend my city from my furious ex-customers," the woman added with a sly look, her sharp gaze settling on Izuna.

When Sakura turned to face Izuna as well, she was met with an urgent expression that easily communicated his desperation that she accept this deal. After all, if Sora-ku supplied only the Uchiha clan than that would leave dozens of clans entirely unarmed.

That would leave the Senju without weaponry.

"I can't make this decision by myself. I need to speak with Lady Miyabi, the leader of The Pride," Sakura finally answered, turning her eyes back to Usugumo whose smile remained unmoved.

"Of course, of course! I understand your need to convene with your lady. I will provide you all with rooms for the night and we will speak again in the morning," the queen responded with a laugh before commenting, "After all, we can't change the world in a night, now can we?"

"We are grateful for your hospitality," Izuna added diplomatically, giving Sakura a meaningful look.

"Thank you for your consideration. Although, before we go... if I could make a request?" Sakura spoke up.

"Absolutely anything, dear Sakura!"

"I'm a healer and I can help during the recovery efforts. Will you allow me to help your city?"

"Absolutely not!" Usugumo laughed, waving off her request, "You are an esteemed guest and one with an incredibly important decision to make. I couldn't bear the thought of you working for us during such a critical time."

Before Sakura could argue, the queen spoke once again, "Doi? Would you escort our guests of honor to their suites?"

"Of course, my queen," Doi answered as he stepped forward, gesturing to the double doors behind them.

Sakura opened her mouth, having already gathered the breath she needed to fuel her debate, before a gentle hand settled on her shoulder. When she turned to face Izuna, he shook his head once, Sakura huffing in disgruntlement before they all followed Doi and were escorted away.

* * *

When Sakura arrived in her private room, she seriously considering sneaking out to assist in the recovery effort anyways. Through the massive glass windows of the nauseatingly opulent room, she could see that fires still burned in the distance and that people were still struggling the save the citizenry. There were people - innocent people - who were hurt and Sakura was one of the only people on the planet who could heal them.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her door sliding open and, when she turned, she wasn't surprised to find Izuna had let himself in.

"We need to help them," Sakura immediately declared as he closed the door and stepped forward to join her next to the window, "There are people who are still trapped in the collapsed buildings and people who need help. We should be down there helping with the rescue efforts, not up here sitting on our asses!"

"I know, Sakura. I know. I've already sent Saori, Katsumi, and Katsurou out to disguise themselves and help in the recovery. Doi is keeping quiet about their disappearances but there is no way that we will be able to spirit away without notice," he replied, his words a weak balm to the turmoil in her heart.

Izuna sighed. "I know you want to help. It's in your nature to help people who are in need. But you helped save the entire city today. You saved Maneki. If it wasn't for you by my side, I… I'm grateful you were here with me today."

Sakura finally looked away from the destruction out the window to her friend at her side, shocked by his confession.

"Does this mean you aren't upset with me anymore?" she asked bluntly, Izuna snorting in response.

"I am _furious_ with you," he laughed, shaking his head as their eyes met, "But, if you can restrain yourself and never interfere with my battles again, I think I can find it in me to forgive you."

Knowing better than to argue, Sakura quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "I suppose I can agree to those ridiculous terms. But only if you tell me about those blue flames from earlier."

"I'd be happy to tell you all about them. But first, I think we have a bit more of a pressing matter to address."

Nodding with a sigh, Sakura stepped away from the window, running through a handful of seals before nipping the tip of her thumb and pressing her hand onto the face of her table. A seal, much smaller than the one from earlier, spread across the polished wood, a small puff of smoke concealing it and her hand before clearing and revealing a small, chestnut colored cat.

"Sakura!" Kurumi greeted excitedly, pouncing forward to brush her head against her thigh before pulling back with a pinched expression, "Yuck, you stink like blood too. Hyo had to bathe in the lake."

"I'll be needing to find a lake here myself here soon," Sakura joked, smiling down at the young feline, "Until then, can I ask you to deliver a message for me?"

"A message?" she asked as she sat down on the table, her tail curling around her feet. When she looked to Izuna, he nodded once but kept his distance, both of them remembering the time she had gotten her claws stuck in his hair.

"Yes, to Lady Miyabi. I need to speak with her," she clarified, Kurumi's ears perking in curiosity, "Queen Usugumo, the leader of a powerful merchant city here in our world, has offered to make an alliance Uchiha in exchange for allowing her daughter to sign a contract with your family."

"Our family," Kurumi corrected making Sakura smile.

"Our family," Sakura amended, "Can you do this for me?"

"Yeah, I can. Lady Miyabi isn't going to be happy though. You're the first human to sign the contract in a hundred years and you found us on accident."

Sakura winced. "I'll tell her anything she needs to know. The decision, of course, ultimately falls to her."

"I'll tell her what you said but I want to play with Ryuta and Kaida again when you get back to your mate's lands," the feline agreed with a nod as she stood.

"My… mate?" Sakura parroted, befuddled, before her cheeks flushed red, "He is not my-!"

Before she could complete her sentence, Kurumi was gone.

* * *

Madara sat on the engawa of the Uchiha clan head household, his back leaned against one of the many closed fusuma that bordered the inner sanctum of his home. A dish of sake was cradled in one hand, a still warm bottle at his side, as he watched the sun set over the tops of the trees.

Ever since Izuna and Sakura had left, he had felt aimless. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to find a task that could distract him. When he attempted to train, he thought of Izuna and their daily spars. When he tried to read, he thought of Sakura and her teachings. When he went over mission requests, he thought of Izuna, and when he took Asuko out to fly, he thought of Sakura.

He had never truly realized how intricately both his brother and his closest companion were weaved into the fabric of his life until he was a day without them. The two days that followed were no different and, while he knew that they would return soon and that they were too powerful to not be safe… he found himself lonely.

As he took a sip of his drink, the sound of footsteps within his home drew closer. There was a short pause before one of the shoji doors nearby slid open, warm light shining onto the dim porch as Hitomi's head peeked out.

"Ah, there you are," she greeted with a smile as she stepped outside, a tray with a freshly cooked meal balanced on top, "I made sukiyaki. I thought something light would do for tonight."

"Thank you for the meal, Hitomi, I appreciate it," Madara replied, setting down his cup so he could take the tray from the talented cook. Even though he found his appetite to be lacking in his loneliness, he would never disrespect Hitomi by refusing one of her meals.

Setting the tray down in front of him, he scooped up his chopsticks in preparation to eat. When he noticed Hitomi remained, gazing at him with a critical eye, he paused.

"Is there something you wanted to speak to me about?" he prompted curiously, unused to Hitomi's scrutinizing pout.

"It appears you're missing your brother and a certain pink haired healer."

"Is it that obvious?" he sighed, not even bothering to deny it.

"You've been pouting for three days," she teased with a smile, Madara grumbling as he reached down to take another sip of his sake, "You should tell her that you want her to be your bride."

He sputtered into dish.

"That is highly inappropriate," he coughed, looking up at her with a surprised expression.

"How? One doesn't need the sharingan to see you both want to start a life together," Hitomi laughed, propping a hand on hand on her hip.

Madara cleared his throat before responding cooly, " _Both_ you say?"

"For having the mangekyo, you certainly struggle to see what's right in front of you," she scolded gently, her eyes dipping down to the cup in his hand, "There is joy in more places than the battlefield and in the bottom of that dish, Madara."

There was a heavy pause before she spoke again, her voice heavy with knowledge that could only be found in the heart of grief, "You should reach for it and cherish it while you can. You never know how little time you'll have."

Madara hesitated, unsure of what to say to comfort the woman he had known his whole life. How to even begin to touch upon the sorrow she still felt over the loss of her husband. Instead, he scooped up the clean cup from the tray she had brought him and filled in with sake. Setting it on the engawa next to him in a silent request for her company, she returned his gesture with a smile.

Hitomi huffed out a quiet laugh as she sat next to him, lifting the dish to her lips and throwing back the alcohol within. She sat with him silently, watching as the last rays of sunlight drifted downwards in the sky, leaving stars in its wake.

"Thank you, Hitomi. I'll think on what you said," he finally spoke, smiling in amusement when she subtly nudged her dish towards him for a refill.

* * *

It wasn't long after Kurumi disappeared, after Sakura had removed her armor and during a conversation where Izuna had begun to explain the blue fires he wielded when he used his mangekyo sharingan, when Sakura was summoned to the jungle.

She had only been summoned to the home of the feline summons once before and this time was only incrementally less startling than the first. While she was grateful this trip didn't result in her falling from the sky and into the canopy, she was still alarmed when she suddenly found herself in the stone temple at the heart of the jungle.

The bizarre sensation of one breath being the cool, dry air of her room in Sora-ku and the next being the hot, humid air of the jungle was one that was not lost to her. More than that, she knew it would take some time for her eyes to adjust from the brightness of her suite to the dim moonlight filtering in through holes in the roof of the temple.

Even so, she did not need to be adjusted to the dim light to recognize the massive shape of Lady Miyabi, the lioness sprawled out on the stone floor with Tora at her side. While Hyo was absent, dozens of other felines - big and small - watched on silently.

"It has been some time, Sakura," Miyabi greeted, her voice as firm and commanding as Sakura remembered from the last time she had seen her.

"Lady Miyabi," Sakura greeted formally, bowing respectfully, "Thank you for allowing me to see you."

"Raise your head, cub," the lioness scoffed, her enormous tail flicking in agitation, "Do you bow to your family?"

She smiled as she lifted her head, "I suppose I still don't know what to expect here. I've never been a part of a pride before."

"Perhaps we should keep you here then? Teach you the ways of the cats? There are many things you have yet to learn from us and seeing you bow only reminds me of how much you still have to learn."

"I don't think my friends back in the human world would be particularly happy if I stayed here."

"Our family hasn't survived this long by concerning ourselves with the satisfaction of humans," Miyabi answered before adding, "Although you seem to be quite concerned with such trivial matters if what Kurumi told me was true. You wish to bring another human into our pride?"

A few hushed whispers spread in the crowd of cats who watch on. Some had curiosity in their eyes, some fear. While some look on with excitement, others glare with disdain. All, however, look on with utter fascination.

"I do. The daughter of the queen of a merchant village called Sora-ku. Her name is Maneki. In exchange for allowing her to sign your contract, Queen Usugumo make an alliance with Uchiha clan," she summarized quickly.

"And why should I care? Why would I ever let some royal child sign our contract just so your chosen human companions can benefit monetarily?" the lioness scoffed, "I will not tolerate some pitiable human child to call themselves a member of our pride just for your gratification."

"This is more than just allowing another person to join the pride - _our_ pride. Helping the Uchiha is helping me. If Sora-ku becomes the sole supplier of the Uchiha then they won't face armed conflicts with the smaller clans. They'll be in less danger and that means less conflict for me to face while I find my way home," the kunoichi beseeched.

Miyabi laughed, her grand voice echoing in the temple and in Sakura's chest. "You are a member of my family. You are not some weakling that needs to be protected from conflict. From what Tora, Hyo, and Kuro have told me, you thrive in blood! Your power only grows stronger when you take part in the thrill of the hunt, as it should!"

"I…" Sakura started, her expression twisting as she considered her words and as she desperately searched for a way to convince Miyabi. As she thought, the sound of whispers around her grew louder.

Allowing Maneki to sign the contract wasn't just to benefit the Uchiha. It was a confirmation. She had tried to shove down this line of thought ever since she had first heard Madara speak the name Sora-ku but, as the days went on and as the battle took place and as she was presented with this choice…

"Lady Miyabi, this deal will change the world," she finally spoke, the whispers around her becoming silent.

"Oh? What need do I have to change a world that I have no place in? That none of us have a place in?" the lioness questioned.

"Because…" Sakura clenched her fists at her side as she spoke, her eyes drifting down to the mossy stone floor as she combated a wave of loss that washed over her with such intensity her voice shook. "Because the world is _supposed_ to change like this."

"What do you mean?"

"I think I'm supposed to do this. I think _we're_ supposed to do this." She raised her head, willing her voice to be strong. "During my time, Sora-ku is different. It is still a merchant city but the ruler of the city has a deal with the Uchiha. They are loyal to the clan, even after the Uchiha are nearly wiped out. But, more than that… the leader of Sora-ku is the only person in a dozen countries who I met who summons cats."

There is an uproar in the temple before Miyabi's voice silenced them all.

"Are you trying to tell me that this arrangement you are vying for… is a part of the future you came from?" she questioned seriously.

"Yes."

"You know what that means, don't you?"

Sakura's gaze dropped, her fists tightening as she fights the heat behind her eyes. "I do."

The look in Miyabi's eyes softened as she looked down at the kunoichi. There was a long pause before the lioness sighed deeply, the excitement in the room slowly dissolving as the big cat dropped her head onto her enormous, folded paws.

"Tell me of this princess," she said simply, Sakura looking up in surprise, before Miyabi glanced down to the spot on the stone floor before her purposefully.

The kunoichi stepped forward before settling near Miyabi's great paw, looking up into her golden eyes. She hesitated, unsure of how to act at first, but easily recognized the gentleness - the motherliness - in the lioness' expression. After taking a breath to search for the right words - the dozens of cats from around the room slowly approaching to settle around her and to listen to her story as well - she told them all of Princess Maneki.

Sakura told them all about how she first met her, the young girl rushing in through a secret passageway to present her mother with a river rock she had found in her explorations. She told them of how her mother had reacted with disdain, rejecting not only her gift but her as well. When she told them about how Maneki - even at such a young age and even with her mother's influence - had chosen comradery and adventure over wealth and beauty, Miyabi smiled. A dull rumble of approval spread through the dozens of cats who had gathered around to listen before they once again turned their attention to Sakura's tale.

She told them about the invasion and how an army had laid siege to the city during her visit; how Maneki had run away in the middle of her mother's punishment to instead find safety with one of her friends in The Edge. When she explained how her friend was gone and how she had instead found herself a victim of the bombardment of boulders - her leg becoming crushed beneath the debris of her own friend's home - silence fell over all of the cats in the room.

She detailed how her and Izuna had defended the girl, fighting back dozens of opponents who sought out the princess' kidnapping. When she talked of Hyo's invaluable assistance, there was a cheer of support for one of their strongest and most respected family members.

When she finally told them all about how Maneki stood up to her mother - how she was willing to sacrifice her life to become the protector the city needed, how she threw away her position as princess to become a warrior - there was a roar of approval.

By the time Sakura had finished telling Miyabi and all of the cats which had gathered around her of Maneki - the princess who might be joining their family, the moon was high in the sky, soft beams of light shining in from the roof of the temple. Kurumi sat comfortably in her lap, fighting dozing off in the midnight hour, as Kuro laid quietly at her side. Hyo had returned in the heart of her explanation, having taken his usual seat next to Tora who bathed him as Sakura spoke.

When she finally finished her story, her and all of the cats surrounding her looked up to Miyabi with curiosity, hesitance, and even hope in their eyes. When the lioness spoke, everyone listened.

"Rest easy for now, Sakura. Tonight, we will feast and we will sleep. And tomorrow - tomorrow, I will speak to the girl to see her worth for myself. From what you've told me, I have high hopes for this warrior princess."

* * *

 _A/N: Each Uchiha has their own special techniques when they are using their Mangekyo sharingan (Tsukuyomi, Ametarasu, Kotoamatsukami, etc) but some Uchiha have techniques that are even more unique to them (Madara's Mangekyo offering him fluidity in movement, his perfect Susanoo, Itachi's Susanoo having legendary weapons, etc). So, for Izuna, I imagine that his fire jutsu are amplified to extraordinary levels and that all of the fire he summons is so hot it is blue._

 _During the battle, if the marauders had broken through Sakura's guard and then Hyo's defense, Izuna would have used his Susanoo to protect Maneki as a last resort. He didn't use it in the beginning since his vision deteriorates significantly when he uses the more advanced techniques. He doesn't want to lose more of his sight unless absolutely necessary._

 _Chieko, the name of Maneki's friend, means "wise child". Her and her mother are wise for fleeing The Edge (the outer, working class border of the city) during the battle. However, this also means that Maneki had no one to protect her during the assault… Until Sakura, Izuna, and Hyo arrived._

 _The deal that Queen Usugumo is offering Sakura is that Sora-ku will only supply the Uchiha clan as opposed to any of the other clans. Up until now, they have been a neutral party, but they will take the Uchiha's side if it means Maneki will sign the contract. While they will no longer supply other clans, they will continue to make their fortunes by working with the other, much smaller merchant cities. Usugumo also has a number of other tricks up her sleeve for bringing in money outside of supplying the other clans (namely the riches which will trade hands from the smaller, soon to be destroyed clans to the Uchiha and to the smaller merchant cities)._

 _Sukiyaki, the food that Hitomi prepared for Madara, is a pot of beef, tofu, and vegetables in a sweet soy sauce broth._


	27. Warning

That night, Sakura slept in the jungle with The Pride.

After telling the cats about Maneki and after Lady Miyabi had told her she would meet with the young princess, the rest of the pride had finally come forward to greet her. While she had met the plethora of felines when she had first signed the contract with the cats, she couldn't begin to remember all of their names quite yet. Even still, they greeted her with the same warmth that one greeted a family member with.

After a few dozen head bumps and - for the massive summons or the standoffish ones - slow blinks, she was approached by Kuro.

"It has been far too long since you summoned me for training. The Uchiha may be excellent warriors but you need to train with me if you are to call yourself a member of The Pride," the panther scolded, Sakura grimacing sheepishly, "You still have _much_ to learn about the ways of the cats."

"I'm sorry for neglecting our lessons. I didn't realize how important they were. A part of me thought you were helping me just so I didn't train alone," Sakura admitted.

"Far from it. I expect you to summon me once you return home. If you do not, I will have you summoned here and you will learn our way in our jungle. I do not care how upset your humans may be."

"I will, I promise," she replied strongly, Kuro nodding once in return.

"Very good. On another note, you are disgustingly filthy. You reek of tar, dirt, and gore," the panther continued, Sakura's expression twisting in offense, "Would you like a bath from me or a dip in the lake?"

"A bath from…? Ah, no. But, uh, thank you. I'll take the lake," she grumbled in return, still upset by his blunt statement although also self conscious over how she must have smelled to the numerous cats surrounding her. She remembered Kurumi hadn't been pleased earlier either and she flushed in embarrassment as her gaze drifted across the dozens of felines surrounding her.

Following Kuro, the panther lead Sakura out of the stone temple and into the jungle surrounding it. They followed a river that ran through their sanctuary and lead to a pristine lake, the moonlight shining off of it's gently rippling surface. A waterfall in the distance fed the sprawling lake, the distant roar of water and the sound of insects a soothing backdrop as she stripped off her armor.

After unlatching her summoning scroll from the small of her back and leaning it against a mossy boulder, Sakura meticulously untied and removed the various sections of her armor. She took a few minutes to first clean the polished metal and its leather backing, using her hands to scrub off the blood and filth as best she could. Letting it sit out to dry, she did the same with her clothes, washing them and hanging them on the branches of a twisting tree. Although she felt no judgement from Kuro who stood watch from the canopy above her, she waded out into the waters to clean both herself and her underwear.

The water was cool against her heated skin and the floor of the lake was soft against her bare feet. She took her time cleaning herself, enjoying the water which felt not only soothing but uniquely rejuvenating. Dipping beneath the surface to scrub the dirt from her hair, she lingered underwater to enjoy the weightless silence beneath the cool, dark water.

When she returned to the surface and then to the shore, she found her clothes were still wet and suspected that they would take some time to dry in the humid night air. Struggling against a sense of self consciousness at being so exposed, Kuro landed on the ground beside her with a dull thump.

"There are no humans here, Sakura. You will receive no judgement for your natural state," he explained, sensing her discomfort.

"I suppose…" she answered hesitantly as she gathered up her scroll.

The thought of wearing her still somewhat dirty and wet clothes - not to mention a long sleeved shirt and pants - to sleep in a hot and humid temple among numerous cats sounded far more uncomfortable than just sleeping in her undergarments. Even still, she felt exposed as she entered the temple alongside Kuro and it took the cats reacting - or rather not reacting - to her state of undress for her to relax.

A sense of relaxation that was immediately stolen when a handful of big cats carried in the corpses of animals from the jungle as a part of a feast. Sakura was less than pleased when one of the felines ripped off a leg and presented her the raw meat, the meal's fur coat still attached.

Although she was horrified, she couldn't help but be grateful. At least it wasn't as bad as the bugs that Naruto had to eat when he spent time with his toad summons. She briefly considered using the flint and steel from her scroll to start a fire but knew that none of the damp wood from the jungle would burn well enough to cook.

With a mental note to add firewood to her summoning scroll of supplies and an aching groan from her stomach which had been empty for over a day, she joined the cats in their meal. Sakura forced down as much raw meat as she could stomach, warm blood from the fresh flesh spilling down her chin. She found the meal to be shockingly good, disgust from eating in such a crude fashion falling away as she sated her hunger.

Afterwards, sleepiness was quick to make itself at home within her, the sights of dozens of drowsy cats surrounding her doing nothing to help. Wordlessly, the felines began to find various resting places in the temple, joining together in affectionate piles and dozing off.

Kuro approached Sakura, settling on the ground behind her and stretching out before curling himself around her back. Hesitant but grateful, Sakura laid back against her companion and made herself comfortable. Slowly but surely, other cats, both big and small, made themselves at home against her. Kurumi came and settled in her lap as others lounged at her sides and laid out underneath her legs. A couple nuzzled her hands, silently requesting her attention behind their ears or beneath their chins.

Yawning widely, Sakura rolled over, nestling into the warm bed of soft fur, purring and gentle breathing quickly lulling her into a restful sleep.

* * *

That morning, after turning down another meal of fresh meat and dressing herself in her still damp clothes and armor, Lady Miyabi sent Sakura back home to the human world.

Before sending her off, she gave her one simple instruction: "Find a location where you can summon me so I may see if this princess Maneki is worthwhile. And be quick about it, I don't have all day for your problems with the humans."

When Sakura reappeared in her suite in Usugumo's tower, Izuna already had his katana drawn and pointed at her, his eyes sharingan bright. The dark circles beneath his eyes told her that he hadn't slept much - if at all - that night, something that didn't surprise the kunoichi considering he had been alone while the rest of their squad had been helping with the aftermath of the invasion.

Lowering his weapon upon seeing it was her and not an ambush, he spoke, "You're finally back! I was worried when you didn't return last night. What kept you on the other side?"

"I'll tell you about it later. Right now, I need to speak with Queen Usugumo and Maneki," Sakura answered urgently, not daring to keep the lioness waiting, "Lady Miyabi wants to meet the princess."

"Here? In the human world?" Izuna questioned as he sheathed his weapon, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"There's no other choice if you want this deal to go through."

Izuna nodded. "Very well. Let's bring them the good news."

* * *

When Sakura, Izuna, and the rest of their team approached Usugumo's throne room, they were first greeted by Doi who stood watch. He greeted them - or at least Sakura - with a warm smile before opening the door, allowing them inside the gilded room which shone in the warm light from the rising sun.

Usugumo and Maneki sat on the throne of pillows within, the Merchant Queen unhappily fussing over her daughter's simple outfit. The young girl argued with her mother in a quiet voice, deflecting her attempts at decorating her with the many sparkling pieces of jewelry which sat on the blankets between them. When the door swung open, the two turned to face their guests, Usugumo smirking knowingly while Maneki's expression grew hopeful.

"Good morning, Izuna, Sakura, Uchiha. I trust you've come with good news?" the queen greeted in a saccharine tone.

"Whether it is good or not remains to be decided," Izuna answered vaguely.

"Oh? How, pray tell?"

"Lady Miyabi wants to meet with the princess herself to determine her eligibility," Sakura explained simply, diplomatically paraphrasing the lioness's far blunter words.

"I can't imagine a world in which a child of Maneki's breeding would be unacceptable, even for the beasts of other worlds," Usugumo chuckled, Sakura's hackles rising.

"Calling any ninja animal a beast will usually do the trick," the kunoichi quipped in return, ignoring the burn of discontent from Izuna at her side.

Her doll-like smile unwavering, the queen simply tilted her head and commented, "How quaint."

"If Princess Maneki is to speak with Lady Miyabi, I will need access to a large, open area to summon her. At least a dozen times larger than this room and preferably outdoors" she explained curtly, her patience wearing thin, "The drylands outside of The Edge would be more than acceptable."

"I have a better location in mind. A place far more fitting for the meeting of royalty. Let us get some fresh air in the gardens, shall we?" she decided instead, rising to her feet.

Her excessive skirts trailing behind her, Usugumo led the group as they descended from her tower. Maneki followed loyally behind but repeatedly looked back to Sakura with a thousand questions in her bright eyes. Sakura said nothing, instead just giving her a comforting smile and a nod, as her and her group quietly followed the Merchant Queen.

Passing through a towering set of double doors, opened by two guards who remained motionless and silent until ordered to open the doorway, the group exited out into a sprawling courtyard. The outdoor space was decorated in dozens of stunning flora from all over the world, many of the exotic plants blooming in strange and unusual colors. A water feature sat in the center of Usugumo's private sanctuary, the space interspersed with stone benches and marble statues decorated with veins of gold and glittering gemstones.

All Sakura cared about was that the space was large enough for her to summon Lady Miyabi.

"Stand back, please," Sakura instructed as she stepped out into the courtyard.

Taking a moment to draw in a deep breath, Sakura prepared herself to bring Lady Miyabi into the human world. While she knew that the boss summon would take an extraordinary amount of chakra to summon and while she knew that whether she would approve of the princess or not was a mystery, she wondered how the leader of The Pride would react to being in the human world for the first time in a century.

Turning her attention inward and away from the hundreds of questions about The Pride that she still had, she focused on the seal on her forehead. She was immediately greeted by the ocean of her stored chakra, the energy within her neatly contained behind a carefully controlled barrier. Releasing her subconscious control, her seal grew, thick black lines spreading across her forehead before spanning across her body.

The rush of power she felt then was very much like the one she felt during the fighting the previous day. Even without the thrill of battle to feed her excitement, her heart began to pound as the feeling of raw, unadulterated power spread through her body like liquid fire. Every nerve within her lit up as chakra flooded through her, her sudden surge of power not only taking her breath away but drawing gasps from her audience.

Not wasting any time, Sakura began to gather an enormous amount of chakra as ran through a set of more than familiar hand seals. Nipping the tip of her finger to draw her blood price, she pressed her hand onto the ornamental grass beneath her feet, an enormous seal shooting out across the ground. An explosion of smoke immediately obstructed everyone's view and concealed the entirety of the courtyard although the dominating presence within the smoke commanded the attention of everyone even without being seen.

When the smoke dissipated, it revealed the enormous form of the lioness Miyabi, Sakura standing at her side and facing their onlookers. The big cat looked down at their audience, her sharp and knowing gaze slowly sliding across the group like a predator eyeing their prey. Her stare was heavy and dangerous and, although she remained relaxed, the threat in her tightly muscled form didn't need to be voiced to be heard.

When her eyes fell upon Maneki, however, she was met with an awe struck gaze.

"Lady Miyabi. Welcome to the human world. Allow me to first introduce you to Izuna Uchiha, my friend and comrade from the Uchiha clan. He has been an enormous help during my time here. The three at his side are Saori Uchiha, Katsumi Uchiha, and Katsurou Uchiha, members of our team and my companions."

"Warm greetings, Uchihas," Miyabi spoke formally with a tilt of her head, the Uchiha dipping their heads respectfully.

"The man next to them is Doi, he is a guardsman for the merchant city of Sora-ku where we are now," she continued, Doi bowing with a flourish, before she gestured to the Merchant Queen, "He serves the ruler of the city and the mother of Princess Maneki, Queen Usugumo."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Miyabi. It's a delight to see such a powerful woman in a position of leadership, especially over such extraordinary beings such as the felines," Usugumo greeted in a sugared tone.

Miyabi's lip curled in disdain. "You reek of lies, human. You insult me with your pathetic attempts at deception."

Izuna leveled Sakura with a silent look of horror, an expression Sakura restrained as she held her breath, waiting for Usugumo's furious response. The Merchant Queen laughed instead, surprising them all.

"Finally, someone with the courage to speak their minds," Usugumo chuckled, her doll like smile finally falling and turning into something sharper around the edges, "You're a dangerous woman and you demand respect. I can appreciate that, especially in a potential ally."

"You speak the truth this time," Miyabi answered, her fierce expression relaxing, "I expect either it or your blood from this point forward."

Clearing her throat, Sakura gestured to Maneki who looked on with eyes the size of saucers. "Finally, allow me to introduce you to Princess Maneki, daughter of Queen Usugumo."

When Miyabi turned her full attention onto the young girl, she stood straighter as if pulled up by a string, her wide eyes filled with a wonder that had yet to fade. She took a few steps forward as if entranced, the lioness watching curiously as she came to stand before her.

"Well, cub? Have you nothing to say or do you know nothing other than to stare?" she pressed although there was no real edge to her pointed words.

"You're beautiful," the princess finally spoke, the words coming from her as if they had been taken instead of given.

Miyabi blinked in surprise.

"What a strange thing to say to an entity with not only the capacity but the will to devour you whole. Do you not understand the power of the being before you? Would it not be more fitting to compliment my strength first?" Her eyes narrowed. "As a princess, do you only care about appearances?"

"But…" Maneki's eyebrows furrowed as if she was confused by the question. "You're so pretty _because_ you're so strong."

The lioness tilted her head as she gazed down at the young girl curiously. When she leaned down to get a better look at the girl, their audience tensed although Maneki met her gaze without fear. Miyabi did not fail to notice.

"What is it that you want from the felines? You told Sakura that you wished to work with us but to what end? What do you desire to accomplish with our power?"

"I want to be strong like you. I want to be strong like Sakura. She saved me, the big cat saved me, they both saved the city… I want to be strong and keep everyone safe too."

"You're a human princess. Shouldn't you be more concerned with your shiny stones and pretty cloth? Will you exchange your comfort for the pain it takes to become strong?

"I will do anything to protect everyone, to keep everyone in the city safe. All the people I care about…" Maneki's gaze dropped before she squared her shoulders and looked back up to meet Miyabi's eyes, "I can't be the princess the city wants but I want to become the warrior it needs."

"You will taste blood. You _will_ kill," she pressed mercilessly, her eyes narrowing as she stared down at the princess.

"I know," she answered, the reality of her dream not shaking her.

"You may die," she pressed harder.

"If it's to keep everyone safe, I will," she declared, her voice unwavering.

There was a long moment of silence as Miyabi stared down at the princess below her, the girl staring back up at her with fire in her eyes, before the lioness began to laugh, the air shaking with the power of her voice.

"You have claws, little cub. I like this…" Miyabi smiled, showing her teeth. "We will help you sharpen them."

"You will?" Maneki answered in a gasp, her expression lighting up as a beaming smile spread across her lips

"I never repeat myself. Learn quickly. The Pride tolerates no fools."

"Yes, Lady Miyabi," she answered with a quick nod, her excitement not dimming even in the face of the big cat's chiding.

"Then let us begin," Miyabi continued, the sensation of the lioness gathering chakra making the hairs on everyone's necks stand on end.

Two bursts of smoke appeared in front of Miyabi, the concealing mist rapidly clearing away and revealing two figures. Sakura recognized the form of Kuro, the stoic panther meeting Sakura's gaze before he turned to face the group in front of them. The summoning contract for the cats hung from his mouth, his teeth closed around a rope sling which looped around the core of the scroll.

A mountain lion whose name Sakura could not remember stood at Kuro's side, the proud feline standing with her back straight and her knowing gaze locked onto the young princess.

Wordlessly, Kuro strode forward, carefully placing the scroll onto the ground. Unrolling it with his paw, he revealed a handful of blank spaces before reaching Sakura's own name. Her signature remained crimson, as bright as the day she first signed the contract, while the unknown name which followed hers had faded into a dull russet.

When Kuro sat at the head of the scroll, he curtly nodded to Maneki. She came forward almost reverently, cautiously kneeling before the contract, her eyes flicking across its surface.

"Is this… blood?" Maneki asked, glancing up at the panther.

"It is. You will sign the contract in the same way. Use your fangs on the pad of your finger. Do not hold back or you will not draw enough blood to leave your name," Kuro explained.

Nodding resolutely, Maneki raised her hand and gazed down at her fingertips. Taking a few deep breaths to gather her nerve, her eyebrows furrowing in focus, she brought her finger to her mouth and bit the edge of her finger hard. She squeaked in pain as she withdrew her digit, watching as blood quickly drained from the sloppy slice.

Taking another deep breath, she focused her attention onto the paper, staring deeply at the empty space next to Sakura's name. Reaching out, she carefully spelled out her name, her signature smudged and messy as she struggled to write with her blood.

"Now your pawprint."

Nodding again, Maneki looked down at Sakura's example before wetting the tips of her fingers with her blood. Reaching down, she pressed her fingertips onto the paper, leaving behind her fingerprints.

Sakura remembered how, when she had signed the contract with the cats, a shudder had gone down the spines of all of the felines. She wondered if they could feel the connection that was built between them and, when she watched as Kuro, the cougar, and even Lady Miyabi shivered, she found herself wondering the same thing.

"Welcome to The Pride, young cub. I expect great things from you," Miyabi welcomed formally, both Kuro and the mountain lion nodding once.

"I _will_ accomplish great things," Maneki answered, beaming up at the lioness and drawing a smirk from the boss summon.

"Spoken like a member of our family," she chuckled, Sakura smiling widely as she watched the exchange.

Gracefully rolling the scroll back up, Kuro grasped the rope sling in his maw. Disappearing without a word, he took their most precious possession back to the safety of their world. When he departed, the cougar stepped forward, sitting in front of the princess.

"This is Anba. She is one of the teachers who trains our cubs from the moment they are born. You will obey her without question for her guidance will not only help you learn our ways but will keep you from death," Miyabi explained, the mountain lion nodding regally, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lady Miyabi," Maneki answered, smiling to Anba in greeting, "It's nice to meet you, Anba-sensei. I'm Maneki."

"Polite. A good start. Although you are so tiny and fragile, I could hurt you by cleaning you too roughly..." the cougar responded, eyeing the girl up and down, "I cannot have a weak cub in our pride. You will learn to be strong or you will die."

"I'll be strong!" she answered fiercely, Anba nodding once.

Looking on with a smile that had yet to fall from her face, Sakura watched as Maneki and Anba spoke, the mountain lion explaining the beginning of the young girls training. Across from them, Usugumo watched her daughter with a smile stretched across her painted lips that looked sickeningly self satisfied, the look on her face making Sakura's stomach roll in revulsion. Doi, however, watched Maneki with a proud grin, his expression actually befitting that of a pleased parent.

Her eyes flicked across the field to where Izuna and the rest of her squad stood, the group looking enormously relieved although they all kept it hidden being a regal facade. It was only through spending so much time with the Uchiha that she could see right through their farse, spotting their relief in the soft lines of their expressions. She met Izuna's eyes, the edge of her best friend's lips quirking up just enough to express his satisfaction.

They had changed the world. She had changed the world…

Looking back to Maneki and her feline instructor Anba, Sakura let that realization wash over her. She had made history that day, introducing the cat summons to the merchant city that still stood even during her own time. She had been the one to begin the alliance between Sora-ku and the Uchiha clan, a partnership that would last for nearly a century.

As she stood there watching the young girl's excited expression, she wondered if Maneki would have been able to sign the contract with the cats without her assistance. She wondered if the princess would have found the felines in the same way Sakura had - by having an attunement with them when she attempted a summoning without a valid contract.

While the chances of her forging this alliance with the cats in that way were unlikely at best, it did not address the reality of the impossible alliance that Sakura had brokered between Sora-ku and the Uchiha clan. It was so astronomically improbable that to assume that these two events would have unfolded without her direct intervention was little more than wishful thinking.

But, to accept that she needed to be in the past for the events of her future to occur, it meant-

Sakura's rapidly escalating thoughts and the wave of dread that came behind them were halted by Miyabi's voice.

"You're in danger."

Sakura's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked up at the boss summon. "What do you mean?"

Miyabi scowled as she gazed out into the distance, her eyes not focused on the edge of the city but rather something unseen.

"I can smell something foul on the wind now that I've stepped into the human world once again. There is something hidden in the darkness, something lying in wait to pounce. A beast who thinks they can make prey of a predator," the lioness growled, her gaze tearing away from some place in the distance to focus on Sakura, "You are in danger."

"Can you tell what it is? Or where it is?"

"I cannot. It's a weight that hangs in the air, like the calm before a storm. You must be cautious in the days ahead. They will hold great peril for you and you must be ready."

"I will," Sakura answered seriously.

"We are always here if you need us. Do not forget this when the storm hits," Miyabi pressed, Sakura returning her declaration with a half smile.

"I won't forget. Thank you. For everything."

The lioness gazed at Sakura for a long moment, as if searching for something in her expression. There was something unspoken in the depths of her vast, golden eyes, a worry that Sakura could not ask about with the audience still watching from the corners of their eyes.

Instead of speaking, Miyabi nodded once before disappearing in a great plume, the smoke clearing as rapidly as the smile from Sakura's face.

* * *

 _A/N: You guessed it… Sakura is the one who originally introduced the merchants of the city to the ninja cats. Nekobaa translates to Grandma Cat and, because she was given no official name passed her title, I named her Maneki. While Sora-ku still exists in Sakura's timeline, it is because of Usugumo's greed and the rage of the clans she betrayed that the city collapses. It is only because of Maneki's determination and skill as a shinobi and as a summoner that the city still lives secretly within the ruins of the once great merchant village. And it is because of Maneki that she still honors the agreement made between her mother and the Uchiha clan._

 _The scroll that Sakura carries contains her axe, her medical supplies, and a plethora of other equipment. It is an upgraded version of the one she carried when she first arrived in the past, a page she took out of Tenten's book. Imagine Sakura's surprise when she saw Hashirama on the battlefield for the first time and they were twinsies._

 _Anba, the name of the cougar who is Maneki's teacher, means "Umber". Umber is a brown earth pigment and its color can range from a lighter tint to a darker shade depending on the amount of iron oxide and manganese oxide in its composition. I named her this because cougar's are a tan/brown color. Cougar's go by many different names (mountain lion, puma, catamount, etc) because they are so widespread._


	28. Stargaze

Even as they finalized the contract with Sora-ku, even as she carefully checked over the medicinal supplies as they gathered their goods, and even as they said their goodbyes and began their trek home, Sakura found herself distracted. A dangerous thing for a shinobi, especially one who had been given an ominous warning by an extraordinarily powerful ninja animal.

She had wondered what Lady Miyabi had meant by her being in danger. She pondered on what kind of peril she would be facing. If it was a single shinobi or an army like her and her squad had faced at Sora-ku. If it would even be some kind of a natural disaster or a tailed beast like the one trapped within Naruto. She wondered if it would be during this trek home, if it would be when they returned home, or if it would be at some point much further in the future.

The lioness' words sat heavily in her heart but the weight of the warning could not touch upon the fear which had consumed her and her thoughts for the past two days.

Even as they set up camp for the night, Katsumi and Katsurou standing guard while Saori cooked them all dinner on a low flame, Sakura could think of nothing but her increasingly hopeless mission to return to her own time.

Now that she finally had a moment to herself as she sat on her bedroll and watched Saori cook, Sakura took out the scroll she had been given in exchange for saving Maneki's life. For a moment, she hesitated, her gaze lingering on the Uzumaki clan crest printed on the casing of the scroll - one that suggested this scroll was indeed stolen from one of Naruto's ancestors.

This scroll was her last hope and the fear if would be another dead end sat like a lead weight in her chest. She struggled to breathe around it and, nervous that someone would notice her rising emotions as they sat peacefully around a dim campfire, she finally removed the scroll from its case.

Letting it unfurl across her lap and leaning towards the warm light of the fire, she rapidly read through its contents. As her eyes skimmed across the page, the weight in her chest only grew heavier and heavier until she finally reached the end of the parchment.

Sakura could appreciate it for it was. It was a powerful technique, both exceptional and unprecedented. It would have undoubtedly been sealed away during her time for fear of misuse.

It was a theory that would be the final piece that she needed to put the finishing touches on the experimental jutsu she had been working on. It was what she needed to complete the lie that she had given Madara to get in with the Uchiha clan; a lie that had eventually become the truth not just out of necessity but because the technique she had devised would be extraordinarily valuable for her healing.

With this stolen Uzumaki scroll, she had the seals she needed to bind a target to a space-time based jutsu. She could finally complete her work and finish the emergency jutsu she had been developing to place her patients into stasis. She would be capable of healing her patients without the fear of them dying as she worked. An extraordinary feat and one that could very well one day save the life of someone she loved.

In that moment, however, all Sakura cared about was that it wasn't what she had been searching for. It wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't what she needed.

It wasn't her way home.

As she sat, blankly staring into the contents of the scroll as the dim firelight played with shadows on its surface, her mind was millions of miles away. Disconnected, she wondered how much she had already changed the past.

She had lied to herself before when she had made her hollow promises to not leave a mark on the timeline. Even more so when she had tried to convince herself that her presence here hadn't made a difference. Looking back on it now, Sakura couldn't deny how much she had affected the past.

She had killed dozens of people and she had healed hundreds more. She had served the Uchiha clan as their healer for over a year, even joining them in their war as a combatant on the battlefield. She had directly saved the lives of a dozen Uchiha and indirectly saved the lives of many more.

She had killed an entire strikeforce of Senju and prevented the massacre of the Nakano family. She had her own medical practice in the merchant city of Kiso where she had treated numerous civilians. She had made a mortal enemy of the Fuma clan by defending clients she had taken while trying to make enough money to eat.

Her first _five minutes_ in the past was spent committing a massacre as she decimated the fighting forces of the Taiyo clan and the Hogosha clan on Samurai Bridge.

Until now, however, she hadn't taken action with the intent of influencing the past. With Sora-ku and The Pride, she had finally decided to change the future.

Because no matter how she looked at it, she was meant to be here.

At first, Sakura felt an extraordinary relief. Her presence in the past was a necessity, it was destiny. Nothing she did here would ruin the future because her being here was part of the future. She could finally live without the constant fear of destroying the life she had come from.

When she wondered if she was not meant to go home at all, when she finally gave an inner voice to the thought she had been hiding from, she was overcome by a wave of loss so powerful it stole the breath from her lungs.

 _You know what that means, don't you?_

Lady Miyabi's question played over and over again in Sakura's mind as heat built behind her eyes. The lioness had asked Sakura if she knew what it meant that she was meant to broker the deal between Sora-ku and the Uchiha.

If she was meant to be in the past, she may never be able to return to her time. She very well may be forced to spend the rest of her life here. She may never be able to see the faces of the people she loved again...

Her parents, Naruto, Ino, Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi-sensei, Captain Yamato, Sai, Lee… All of her comrades smiling faces flashed across her mind's eye.

She may never be scolded by her mom or hear another one of her dad's awful jokes again. She may never see Naruto's beaming smile or be able to help protect him as he was hunted down by the Akatsuki. She may never hear Ino's teasing or her encouragement. She may never see Tsunade wake up from her coma, if she ever did.

She may never see any of the people she loved again.

It felt as if the ground beneath her had broken away, a sensation similar to falling rushing over her. Her heart jammed itself into her throat, the weight like a vice around her neck as she struggled to breathe. She fought to control tears that were building in her eyes and struggled even harder to control her chakra which writhed within her like a wounded animal.

"-ura? Hey, Sakura?" Izuna voice finally snapped her out of her inner world and drew her gaze upwards. "Are you alright?"

When she met his eyes, his expression was openly worried, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes gentle. When she glanced around, she found that everyone in their group had their eyes on her. Saori's arm was outstretched, handing her a bowl of stew.

"I'm fine," she choked out, her words too fast and her voice too tight, as she took the offered bowl with a brittle smile.

Saori frowned but said nothing.

"Are you worried about what Lady Miyabi said?" he questioned gently, Sakura unable to meet his gaze and unable to take a bite of the meal she set to the side.

"Something like that..." she muttered, grateful when Izuna didn't push her.

If she had to speak even a word more, she wasn't sure if she could hold back her tears.

* * *

When Izuna, Sakura, and their team finally returned home following their trip to Sora-ku, Madara could easily admit that he was excited. He was happy to finally have his two most precious people home, his directionless apathy draining away when he felt their chakra signatures appear near the village.

He had felt listless and lonely without them at his side and, while he was grateful for Hitomi's company these past few days, he knew she would be happy to have her afternoons with her children back instead of spending that time drinking on his porch with him.

Stepping out onto the engawa which bordered his and his brother's home, he patiently waited for the appearance of the squadron. As he waited, he had to work to restrain his excited smile, wanting to present a professional front as clan leader for those who had been sent on the mission.

When Madara finally saw Sakura, her pink hair unmistakable even from a distance, his heart leapt in his chest. It was harder to hold back his smile in the moments his chest swelled with warmth although he knew that joy showed in his eyes. As the group drew closer, however, that unhindered happiness dulled.

Something was wrong.

Although Sakura smiled at him, her happiness wasn't reflected in her tired eyes. Izuna nodded to him in greeting and he could see worry in the tension in his jaw. Even the rest of the group carried a hidden weight, their concern carefully concealed but revealed to him in the subtle ways they moved their bodies and the quiet glances they sent their medic.

"Welcome home," Madara greeted, not giving a voice to the worry and instead waiting to hear whatever bad news awaited him behind the privacy of closed doors.

That didn't stop the anxiety from blooming in the place his joy had once occupied.

"Glad to be back," Izuna answered before turning address the rest of his team, "Thank you all for your assistance in the mission to Sora-ku, your help was invaluable. Sakura and I will handle the debrief this time around. You're dismissed."

Katsurou and Katsumi nodded once before disappearing but Saori lingered.

"I would like to be a part of the force to be sent to Sora-ku," she requested, Izuna nodding once, "I believe my abilities as a sensor, my earth based jutsu, and my experience in the city makes me a prime candidate for this mission."

"Of course. We will include you. It will likely be a few days before the squadron is sent out so please spend the interim recovering and packing your things. You'll be there for some time," Izuna explained, Madara raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Understood. I await your summons," Saori answered curtly before disappearing as well.

"It appears we all have much to talk about," Madara commented as he gestured inside.

"It is good news, I assure you," his brother returned as him and Sakura stepped onto the engawa, pausing to remove their shoes before walking inside.

"Care to tell me about this force we're sending to the Merchant Queen's city first?" Madara pressed as they walked down the hallway and entered into the study he shared with his brother.

Izuna smirked as they all settled onto the cushions circling a low table.

"Queen Usugumo has chosen our side in the war. The Uchiha clan is Sora-ku's sole client," he explained simply, Madara unable to conceal his shock.

"And how exactly did we manage such an alliance?" he questioned, baffled.

Izuna looked to Sakura pointedly, his smile lingering. "Thank Sakura. It's all because of her."

Madara was happy to see both his brother and his closest companion getting along once again, Izuna's tone no longer tainted with his lingering displeasure with Sakura. Although Sakura's expression pinched at Izuna's praise, she no longer held her agitation at his once sour attitude.

Even with his mounting concern for whatever was troubling Sakura, he was overwhelmingly curious as to how she had somehow been able to broker an alliance that him and his clan - and many others - had been attempting to secure for generations.

"Queen Usugumo was the one who offered the deal and it was Lady Miyabi who accepted. I feel like more of a messenger than anything," Sakura answered modestly, looking off to the side in embarrassment.

"What was this deal?"

"In exchange for Princess Maneki signing the contract with the cat summons, Queen Usugumo will now supply only the Uchiha," Sakura explained, attempting to smile although the brief quirk of her lip hardly betrayed any positive emotions.

Madara resisted the urge to frown at good news.

"We agreed to send Queen Usugumo a fighting force to aid in protecting the city and to train soldiers before Maneki is skilled enough to command troops and to summon the cats," Izuna added.

"That's incredible news. Sora-ku isn't any ordinary merchant village. They provide the ninja clans with not only weaponry, supplies, and raw materials but with the most valuable thing of all: information. This alliance will weaken if not completely disarm nearly all of the clans in this region," he marveled, "This will change the course of the war."

He could hardly believe that Sakura accompanying Izuna on his yearly mission to Sora-ku would end with such a miraculous outcome for his family. He was astounded. More than that, he was grateful. Having the merchant city at their back would give them a huge leg up in the war. With so many of the smaller clans unarmed, his family would be in far less danger.

"I'd say you were a blessing if I didn't think it would go to your head," Izuna taunted, giving voice to how grateful they were for Sakura's presence in their lives while tempering the emotional confession with humor.

Normally, she would answer his teasing with a cheeky comment but, instead, she nodded dully. Madara briefly wondered if she was still upset with Izuna and if that was the source of her displeasure but quickly discarded the notion.

This was something different.

"I just hope this will lead to less patients for me. Speaking of..." Sakura spoke before she rose to her feet, "I really need to rest. I'm exhausted from the mission and I want to be fully recovered for my patients tomorrow. If you'll excuse me."

"Of course. Rest well. We'll speak more tomorrow." Madara replied, keeping his concern from his face although it leached into his tone.

Sakura didn't notice.

"Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow," she said quietly, exiting the room and leaving him and his brother alone in the quiet of their home.

When Madara thought she was far enough away to not hear, he turned to Izuna. "What happened to Sakura? What's wrong?"

"I don't know…" he sighed, wearily resting his chin in his hand as he thought, "There was an invasion against Sora-ku the day we arrived but we were able to fend off the invaders, very much in part to Sakura activating her seal and summoning one of her cats. We were even able to rescue the princess, something which lead to Queen Usugumo offering the alliance."

"Sakura was summoned to the cat's world for the night and, when she returned that morning, she seemed fine. She summoned the leader of the cats to speak with Maneki before she accepted the deal. Afterwards, however…" Izuna paused. "Lady Miyabi gave Sakura a warning."

"A warning?" Madara repeated, his concern growing further.

"She told her that she was in danger. That she needed to be ready for some hidden peril that was waiting to strike."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. But ever since then, Sakura hasn't been okay. She's been distracted and I thought she was going to cry when we stopped for the night. I'm worried. I haven't seen her like this… well, since her birthday when she was in mourning."

"Do you think Sakura believes that Lady Miyabi was warning her about the person who destroyed her village? The man who thought himself a god?" Madara theorized.

Concern over the attacker that had destroyed Sakura's old village had been a worry in the back of their minds since she began her service to their clan. Sakura had been one of the most powerful ninja they had ever encountered back when they first met and her skills had only grown exponentially since then. Thoughts of this unknown man being capable of decimating a village that was home to others who shared her strength was deeply concerning.

They had never pushed her for information before in order to respect her privacy during her mourning but this man could very well still be a threat. A concern that very well could be the source of Sakura's anxiety as well as her desperate search for information that led to her working with them in the first place.

It was no secret that Sakura was seeking out space time jutsu. When they had first met, she had told him it was to develop a specialized medical jutsu. She proved that she had given the truth but, as time went on, it became apparent there was something else she was searching for as well.

He wondered if it was a jutsu to fight this man. Even more heart wrenching, he wondered if it was a technique to bring back the people she had lost. He wondered if she was trying to change the past.

Madara wondered if Sakura was just trying to go home.

"She might be scared that that man is coming back or that he found her. I can't think of anything else. She only gets like this when she's thinking about her old village." Izuna's expression twisted in sympathy for their friend. "She might be scared she's going to lose everyone again."

"We will have to be vigilant for whatever danger is approaching. We will not allow anything like the destruction of Sakura's village to take place again," Madara declared firmly.

"Agreed," he answered, his gaze hardening with his resolve, "And if the danger is this man, we will show him how far from a god he truly is."

"We'll keep her safe. We'll keep _everyone_ safe."

* * *

For weeks, Madara had wanted to go speak with Sakura - to finally spend time with her again like they always did - but he found himself constantly drawn away by various duties as the clan head and as a shinobi.

The past couple of weeks had been extraordinarily successful for his family. Their alliance with Sora-ku made ripples across the world. Smaller clans and even the Senju had abandoned fronts that Madara once thought that they would throw down their lives for. The mission requests and even new alliances accumulated so quickly that he struggled to find time for much else despite the sudden surge of opportunities.

With their family being pulled so many different directions, Madara and Izuna found themselves needed outside of their village more times than they were comfortable. Although they attempted to keep either him or his brother - if not both of them - in the village at any given time, they found that their clan mates were spread so dangerously thin that their presence was often required. Something that always kept them on high alert with whatever danger Lady Miyabi had warned Sakura about still lingering in the shadows.

Sakura herself had been extraordinarily busy with her patients. After all, more clan members on missions meant more coming home injured. More than that, she had begun some sort of training regimen with her panther summon Kuro out in the forest, the kunoichi choosing to train with him far more frequently than she trained with either him or Izuna.

Madara felt like he never got to see her anymore. He _missed_ her.

When he was able to see her in passing, he worried about her. She looked as if she hadn't been sleeping or eating well. Dark circles slowly grew under her eyes and he could see how she was getting thinner each time he saw her, his friend tying her obi tighter and tighter every day.

That night, as he finally laid down to sleep after returning home from a mission of his own, he decided that he would visit Sakura that next day without fail. A promise that was almost immediately challenged when, after he awoke, he was greeted by his brother with an armful of mission requests, then a messenger with a dozen critical updates, and then a squadron of scouts with information regarding intruders on the outskirts of their lands.

When he had finally finished with his duties, the sun had already began its descent in the sky. He had thought he would finally have the opportunity to visit Sakura… until he was intercepted by the clan elders.

Knowing he couldn't refuse their demand for his audience - and also unsure of when he would be able to escape them and visit his companion - he relegated himself to another day of endless work. Endless work made all the more grating by the topic Arisu and Daichi had decided to drone on about: him finding a wife and producing a child.

Daichi had pressured him by saying that by the time his father was his age, him and two of his brothers had already been born. He continued by saying that he was a grown man who should be focusing on starting a family and perpetuating their excellent bloodline - especially with him and his brother both having awakened the Mangekyo.

Arisu added to the one sided conversation by suggesting that he marry Sakura to prevent her from leaving and so that his children would be that much stronger. That her bloodline was extraordinary - almost as spectacular as their own - and that there would be no better mate for him in regards to producing exemplary offspring.

Just the thought of marrying and having children with Sakura made Madara's heart race but he despised how the elders spoke of her like a well bred dog. She was the most incredible person he had ever met, not a preferred source of pedigreed children. While the elders had certainly changed their tune in regards to Sakura since her arrival, it seemed they accomplished little more than changing their perception of her from a sharingan-stealing harlot to an ideal womb.

The conversation - or rather the clan elders endlessly lecturing him about bloodlines and babes - just reminded him of how he just wanted to spend time with Sakura. To sit down and talk like they used to, to enjoy each others' company. She needed him there with her now more than ever. Not as a potential mate or as the leader of the clan but as her friend.

Even more than that, he wanted to get as much time with her now as he could. The last day of her contract with his family slowly grew closer and closer. In the end, she would leave. The thought of her abandoning them to continue on her search left him with a deep sense of loss and heartache. Heartache that only hurt all the more at the thought of being forced into some miserable marriage with some woman he didn't love just for the sake of producing children.

The only woman he could ever imagine himself marrying and having children with wasn't even his and would soon be gone.

By the time Daichi suggested that both him and Izuna could marry Sakura, something that could aid to higher chances that at least one of their children would awaken the Mangekyo, Madara decided that he had had enough. Finally finished humoring this simultaneously infuriating and deeply depressing conversation, he told them that he would keep their suggestions in mind but that his only concerns at the moment were the alliance with Sora-ku and expanding their influence.

After coming as close as he could to physically removing Daichi and Arisu from his house, he immediately made his way to Sakura's home. The conversation had done little more than instill a ball of dread in his chest which sat heavily upon his heart. Instead of thinking of bloodlines and breeding, he thought of time and how he was losing more and more every moment he spent distracted from what mattered.

When he approached her house, he just hoped she was still awake. As he walked towards her engawa, relief spreading through him when he saw her home was still lit, her voice caught his attention.

"Up here!" Sakura called out from above, perking his curiosity as he stepped back and easily leapt onto the roof.

When Madara finally saw her, wrapped up in a blanket as she perched on the rooftop, he felt the ball of dread within him lighten, his anxiety washing away as her eyes met his.

"Long time no see," Sakura greeted with a gentle smile.

She looked genuinely happy and the warmth in her gaze put his heart at ease.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked curiously.

"Stargazing," she hummed, her gaze rising up to the sky, "Join me?"

"Of course," he answered easily, sitting down next to her on the roof.

Madara was able to hide the shiver that threatened to run through him when her arm brushed against his. Her touch always felt like electricity, lighting up his skin even when she touched him in the most innocuous way. Just being in her presence left his chest feeling light, something that was only darkened by his slowly compounding heartache at her eventual departure.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he deigned to simply enjoy the moment he was finally able to spend with her. To try to not focus on his anguish at losing her or his fear of forgetting a single moment with her.

Looking at Sakura from the corner of his eye, he watched as she gazed up at the night sky. She looked so beautiful, so ethereal, bathed in moonlight with a gentle smile pulling at the corners of her lips. Not wanting to forget the sight, he slyly activated his sharingan, memorizing the way she looked as she gazed up at the stars.

He needed to remember every little thing about her for when she was gone.

When she turned to face him, he blinked to hide his sharingan returning to dormancy.

"Ryo for your thoughts?" Madara asked, repeating what she had once said to him.

Sakura smiled as she looked back up at the glittering constellations above.

"I never really appreciated the stars that much until I came out here, to be honest. I never really took the time to slow down and enjoy the world around me. There was always so much to do."

"I would think you would be busier here than ever, considering how many patients you get every day."

She laughed. "You would think. But before my… _Before_ , I nearly lead the hospital with my mentor and her assistant. And then I would take missions with my teammates as a medic. Then with training, studying, time with friends and family... I never got time to myself."

There was a long silence.

"Do you miss it?" Madara asked, immediately berating himself at his thoughtless question.

"Maybe not so much _it_. I like how peaceful it is out here. Heh, well, in its own way. But…" Sakura's expression dropped before she whispered, "But I miss _them_ so much I can hardly breathe…"

He could hear the sorrow in her voice as easily as he could feel the heat from her at his side. He wanted to comfort her somehow, to try to take away some of the pain she felt from losing so much. He struggled to find the words, any words, to touch upon her loss. While he was no stranger to tragedy or to mourning, he still had his brother, his cousins, his entire clan. Sakura had been completely alone until she had found a place among his family.

He wanted to tell her that he was there for her and that, while she may not have them, she would always have him. No matter how much he tried, however, the right thing to say just wouldn't come.

It took a long moment - and more courage than he had to muster when facing even the most powerful of enemies - for Madara to gather the will to instead loop his arm around her shoulders. He kept his eyes forward, desperately hoping that the heat he could feel in his cheeks wasn't visible, but he could still feel her surprised look.

After a handful of heartbeats, Sakura scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she gladly accepted his comfort. He couldn't restrain the shiver of satisfaction as his heart leapt in his chest, a wave of contentment settling over him.

"Cold?" she asked innocently, oblivious to his inner joy.

 _No._ "Perhaps slightly."

"That's surprising, considering you're like a furnace," she teased as she tugged at the edges of the blanket surrounding her.

She tossed it over the both of them and, sidling up even closer to him, she drew the blanket shut around their fronts, enveloping him in the scent of her medicinal herbs and floral soaps.

In a way that felt so natural, Madara wrapped his arm more comfortably around her, silently reveling in the satisfaction he felt being so close to her. The only time they had ever been this close was on her birthday and his memory - even enhanced by his sharingan - was fuzzy from alcohol.

He didn't realize how starved for her touch he was until she was nestled into his side, her warm body pressed against his.

"Hmm…" Sakura hummed as she leaned into him more fully.

His gaze dropped down to her and he wondered if he was imagining the blush on her cheeks.

"What is it?" he asked, grateful his voice remained steady.

"Even your heart beats faster than normal," she commented offhandedly, as if the beating of his soaring heart was normal, before chuckling, "You really are the epitome of fire nature."

"I suppose I'm just unique."

"Unique is just one of many wonderful things you are," she returned with a smile in her voice, his face burning at her compliment.

Madara hummed noncommittally in response, knowing he would be unable to conceal his overwhelming contentment if he was to come up with the words to speak.

When she rested her head against his collarbone, he didn't even bother to resist what he wanted, tilting his head to rest atop of hers. His eyes slid closed as he basked in the moment and in her warmth, finding all of the contentment he wanted with her instead of in the expanse of stars above them.

In that moment, he thought of what Hitomi had told him.

 _You should reach for it and cherish it while you can. You never know how little time you'll have._

"Sakura…" he finally whispered, lifting his head.

"Yes?" she hummed.

"I wanted to tell you something…" he tried, struggling to find the right words even if he had found the will to say them.

She was confused as she pulled back to look up at him, her big, bright eyes meeting his making his breath catch in his throat.

"No, I need to tell you," he corrected.

"What is it?" she urged softly, her voice gentle and her cheeks flushing.

"I…" he tried before pausing, looking off into the shadows of the plum grove beneath them as doubt encroaching on the hope in his chest.

He felt Sakura's hand settle on top of his in a silent gesture of encouragement. His gaze flicked to their joined hands before looking up to her and, finding nothing but warmth in her expression, he smiled. Turning his hand over so he could hold hers properly, he squeezed her hand.

His anxiety finally washing away, he found the courage he needed to finally tell her.

"Sakura, I lov-"

"Madara! Where are you!?" Izuna's voice cried out nearby, startling them both.

Both his and Sakura's expression pinched in confusion and concern, the pair immediately recognizing the sound of urgency in Izuna's voice, before they turned to seek out his location.

"I'm up here," Madara called out, abandoning his would-be confession as they slipped away from each other.

Izuna leapt onto the rooftop, the elder Uchiha's worry growing at the look in his brother's eyes.

"There's been an attack," he informed immediately.

"What happened?" he questioned.

"It's the Nakano..."

Madara felt as Sakura tensed at his side.

"They're all dead."

* * *

 _A/N: For those who may have forgotten, the Nakano are the family who Sakura protected from the strikeforce of Senju when she first met them and the Uchiha._

 _The scroll that Sakura was given and that was stolen from the Uzumaki contains a technique that binds a target to a space-time jutsu using seals. This technique is a vital piece to Sakura's future medical jutsu and it originated from Tobirama. Him and Mito had worked on this technique together and, when they were sending information back to Mito's home village, it was stolen and wound up in Queen Usugumo's possession._

 _Polyamory and marriages with more than two spouses aren't unheard of in this world, especially when it increases the chance of producing ideal children. Sakura was accused early on - on her birthday when the brothers stayed overnight at her home - of sleeping with both of them. This was an insult to her for sleeping with them out of wedlock and an accusation that she was attempting to steal the mangekyo sharingan instead of disapproval of polyamory._

 _I know there are a lot of readers who are really rooting for this to become a MadaSakuIzu story! Homeward is purely a MadaSaku fic with Sakura and Izuna being close friends. I wanted to write this as being my ultimate MadaSaku romance, the story I really wanted to read so I decided to write it! However, I have been considering different ways to go about writing a seperate MadaSakuIzu fic too since I love the ship. I'm currently trying to decide if I wanted to base it off of this story or with a completely new plot._

 _Which would you prefer, MadaSakuIzu shippers? Any specific AUs or ideas you'd really want to read? (PS if you're not into polyamory, that's perfectly valid, but I do expect you to be respectful! Also, for the readers who seem to be under the impression I'm making this into a MadaSakuIzu story despite me saying otherwise multiple times... wtf lmao calm down)_


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